Sept. 1, 2023
The Making of "A Queer Map"
A Queer Map is a retelling of an old story. Lovingly curated, the history of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s LGBTQ+ community is relayed on the footprint of our city. From Club Carousel through to modern ephemera, this tour through history covers a broad swath of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s under-documented LGBTQ+ community hubs and sources of resistance in a sometimes-inhospitable Sandstone city.
Drawing on the historical research of the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Gay History Project of Kevin Allen and Mark Clintberg, this map explores the places and faces of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s LGBTQ+ history, its scenes, bars, community, and organisations, and the efforts made by LGBTQ+ activists to raise awareness through initiatives like Blue Jeans Day. The histories told are uniquely Calgarian, but also paradigmatic of many similar cities across western Canada.
The strong sense of community, resistance, collaboration and pride which emerges from this trip down memory lane, continues to characterize Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s LGBTQ+ community to this day. or email a request to cih@ucalgary.ca.
About the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Atlas Project
The Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Atlas Project seeks to recover crucial stories about Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s past and present, stories that illuminate in surprising ways the character and diversity of the city. Forgotten or overlooked stories from Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s history are mapped onto the city’s geography, highlighting significant sites, events, and people in Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s past.