Title: Making a scene : lesbians and community across Canada, 1964-84 /
Authors: Millward, Liz, 1966-
Year: 2015
Subjects: Lesbians Canada Social conditions; Gay community Canada History; Gay liberation movement Canada History; Gay community; Gay liberation movement; Lesbians Social conditions; Canada
Abstract: Documents the lesbian movement that developed in Canada between 1964 and 1984. Not just a story of big-city life, it chronicles the spaces lesbians created across rural and urban Canada, from physical locations such as lesbian and gay centres, drop-ins at women's centres, communal houses, bookstores, bars, cafes, and private members' clubs, to the ephemeral sites women travelled to in order to meet each other such as conferences, workshops, festivals, and Dykes in the Streets marches. Included are interviews and a wealth of primary sources, including diaries, letters, newsletters, reports, and minutes. This book also brings to life the exuberance of these young women and the challenges they faced during this transformational period in Canadian history.
Contents: "The Lesbian, Drinking, Is Never at Her Best": Beer Parlours, Taverns, and Bars -- "No Drugs, No Straights": Members-Only Clubs -- "Let's Decide What We Are -- A Drop-In or a Cafe with Entertainment": Buildings -- "It Was an Incredible Conference": Getting Together -- "An Event That is Talked About as Far Away as Toronto": Claiming Public Space -- "Be Daring -- Live the Unbelievable and Challenging Life of a Rural Lesbian!": Outside the Big City.