Newsletter of the Canadian Gay Archives No. 4, September 1981
National Archives for Lesbians and Gay Men
In this issue:
The Archives' application for registration under the Income Tax Act as a charity has been refused. The Charitable and Non-Profit Organizations Section of Revenue Canada mistakenly decided that the work of the Archives was not "directed to the benefit of all members of the community." The Archives as a matter of policy exists for the benefit and use of the general public and advertises itself as such. Revenue Canada further claimed that the Archives had been "formed by a group of individuals primarily for the promotion, advocacy or performance of a particular purpose peculiar to them." This rather shocking statement indicates a complete misunderstanding of the work and purpose of the Archives. The government agency made no attempt at clarification prior to the refusal. An appeal of the decision will be made.
On March 13, 1980 the Archives was incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario as a corporation without share capital. The first six Directors were James Fraser, Alan Miller, Joan Anderson, Edward Jackson, Gerald Hannon and Christine Bearchell.
The Archives had been part of Pink Triangle Press, incorporated in 1976. There were three main reasons for incorporating separately. The Archives was anxious to avoid any future raids on PTP. In order to gain the support of as wide a spectrum of the community as possible, it was felt that the Archives should be independent of any political organization. In terms of fundraising, incorporation was seen as the first step toward achieving "charitable status" with Revenue Canada. To this end it was necessary to show clearly that the Archives was not itself political.
A fundraising drive is planned when "charitable status" is obtained. Until that time we must rely on our readers to make donations in order that the Archives may carry on its work.
There have been numerous important acquisitions since our last newsletter. Among the most notable are the records of three gay/lesbian organizations: Community Homophile Association of Toronto, Gay Alliance Toward Equality (Vancouver) and Gays of Ottawa. The archives now has the official records of nine organizations from across the country.
The Ronald McRae Collection was acquired in the spring of 1981. A native of Toronto, McRae was an illustrator and costume designer. He created a dust jacket for a Carl Van Vechton novel. The collection also includes 119 original costume and other drawings, photographs of McRae and several friends, magazine covers with his illustrations, greeting cards designed by him and miscellaneous clippings.
Gay periodical additions include three issues of Face & Physique (Lachine, Quebec, 1963-64), and 23 issues of Sisters (San Francisco, 1970-75), and numerous male modelling (i.e. gay) periodicals from the 1950's and 1960's.
Important additions to the library include: Morley Callaghan, No Man's Meat (Paris, 1931) (a limited edition of 500), Sloan Kennedy (ed.), Walt Whitman's Diary in Canada (Boston, 1904) (a limited edition of 500), the first pirated edition of Leaves of Grass (1860) and other Whitman material.
During the past two years the library has been under the care of two professional librarians who are classifying and cataloguing its contents by adapting the Dewey Decimal classification system. Author, title and subject cards are being prepared for each item. At present there are about 1,500 volumes. The library makes a special effort to collect all Canadian material though its acquisitions policy is in no way limited by that fact.
The Archives Publication Series is now well under way. The first two items in the series were published in December 1979. They were: Homosexuality in Canada, a Bibliography by Alex Spence, and The Genetic Imperative by Alan V. Miller.
In June 1981 our third and fourth publications made their appearance. Number 3 was Ian Young, a Bibliography (1962-1980) and number 4 was Lesbian Periodical Holdings in the Canadian Gay Archives as of June, 1981 compiled by Alan V. Miller. These last two publications sell for $4.00 and $2.50 respectively.
Plans are now underway to publish next year a list of our gay periodical holdings. This important collection now contains more than 1,100 titles which represents a growth of 600% in five years. Another publication will be an inventory of our collection of articles from non-gay journals and popular magazines. Numbering about 5,000 articles it promises to be an important resource tool. We encourage readers to send copies of any articles they come across.
In 1973 the Canadian Gay Archives was a collection of flyers, boxed notes and press clippings which cluttered the halls of a Seaton Street house. The Archives changed its residence twice before finding its present home in the recently expanded Body Politic office at 24 Duncan Street.
In May of 1980 the Archives moved from the cramped quarters in the original Duncan Street offices across the hall where the floor space it now occupies is almost four times as large as before. The enlarged quarters house the new shelving, several filing cabinets, our microfilm camera and of course our working areas. The Archives now has a space that is clearly separate from other office activities and has begun to pay its share of the rent. New shelving units are already needed in order to store new acquisitions.
"Stashing the Evidence" is the title of an affectionate look at the formation and evolution of the Canadian Gay Archives which appeared in the August 1979 issue of The Body Politic. Written by Rick Bébout, it describes the uncertain beginnings of the Archives in 1973, the problems faced by its early supporters, and the solid achievements made since 1976. One of the principal themes is the attempt to keep control of the collection in the hands of the gay community, an aim considerably assisted by the incorporation of the CGA last year.
During May 1981 we mounted a display, "Homosexuality and Religion in Canada," in Holy Trinity Church in Toronto. Brochures, correspondence, notices and pamphlets were used to illustrate these three themes: attitudes towards homosexuality by conventional religious bodies, the emergence of gay groups within them, and the rise of separate gay religious organizations. Care was taken to present as broad a cross-section of groups and opinions as space would allow. All religions of Canada were represented.
The photographic collection continues to expand. The principal source is still the files of The Body Politic, but an increasing number of items are being received from other sources, especially from individuals. The gaps that were mentioned in the last Newsletter have only partially been filled. We now have, for instance, a fairly good run of photographs of gay establishments in the Toronto area, though few from elsewhere.
The indexing of the collection is still being undertaken by one of the volunteers. About two-thirds of the photographs from The Body Politic files to the end of 1978 have been processed, with both main-entry and cross-reference cards. A guide to the use of the photographs has also been written, explaining the principles behind the indexing system and how it works. Further information about the guide may be obtained by writing the CGA.
In the autumn of 1980 the Archives assisted Gays for Equality in Winnipeg by supplying photographs for use in a brochure that was to be forwarded to guidance counsellors in secondary schools throughout Manitoba. Slides of the photographs were also incorporated into GFE's television programme and as part of a slide show accompanying speaking engagements in schools and other institutions.
1877: In the June issue of Belford's Monthly Magazine (Toronto) the Rev. James Carmichael, in his review of Dean Stanley's book The History of the Jewish Church, comments on its comparison of Socrates and Christ. The article states (p. 64-70): "...and at seventy years of age he was accused of infidelity towards the gods of the state, and of corrupting the Athenian youth by teaching them not to believe.... He faced the most disgusting and abhorrent lusts, lusts, thank god, almost unknown by name to western civilization, with a joking nod of recognition, and distinctly taught that a temperate use of vilest passions was not alone allowable but enhanced gratification.... Fancy our handsome boys listening to the morality of the great Athenian. Our girls would be safe, but for the sake of pure boy life we would rise and fling the teacher from our ruddy hearthstone."
1904: Felix Paul Greve meets André Gide in Paris. A few years later he disappears, eventually settling in Manitoba and changing his name to Frederick Philip Grove. Prior to his immigration to Canada he translated several works by Oscar Wilde. Douglas O. Spettigue, in FPG: The European Years (1973), comments (p. 126): "When we recall that in the autobiography Grove tells us that the young Frenchman he was closest to was attracted to him homosexually - apparently a reversal of their roles here - we recognize the part Felix is playing. He is offering himself by playing on Gide's known homosexual sympathies. And 'known' I think is the clue. Felix has prepared his spiel but is uncertain how to present it, and because he knows that Gide, like Wilde and (Stefan) George, has homosexual tendencies, he expects Gide to respond.... Greve was not, I submit, homosexual and, faced with the reality of the man he had come to seduce, he found that the thing simply would not work." Grove set about to hide his earlier life. Like Walt Whitman, he made reference from time to time to his past, but covered up so much. While Grove's own sexuality is uncertain, his connection with Gide and Wilde demands further investigation.
1909: Dr. Helen McMurchy meets Marie Stopes who later authors Married Love. Ruth Hall in her book Marie Stopes: A Biography (1977) quotes a letter (p. 79): " 'My Darling,' wrote Helen McMurchy from Toronto, as Marie left for Montreal, 'That is what I have been wanting to call you ever since the express took you away from me to Montreal. In that moment I knew I loved you - when I found it in my heart to take you into my arms and kiss you.... You have "got me" - dear and what a sweet thing that you know that you have got me and were a little glad about it.'
" 'There will be true loves for you, Darling - instead of that false and cruel one - You are sure to be admired and liked - and loved - by many men.... I claim you for mine, dear - forever - as you said. I shall always have a share in you and in what you do - you dear genius... and was I the only person who kissed you in Canada! You darling - What am I to call you? Ever yours affectionately, Helen McMurchy' "
1918: After Flora MacDonald Denison has visited Charlotte Perkins Gilman several times in New York, Gilman visits Toronto to lecture. Charlotte contributed several pieces to the Sunset of Bon Echo (1916-1920) and the Walt Whitman Fellowship meetings. What Denison knew of CPG's lesbian affair with Martha Luther remains unrecorded. For more information we will have to wait until Mary A. Hill's Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The Makings of a Radical Feminist, Volume Two is published.
1926: Edgar Christian, 18 years old, travels to Canada to join his older cousin John Hornby. That winter they survive by trapping in the Northwest Territories. Ill-equipped to weather the harsh winter they die of starvation. Christian's diary survives and is published in 1937; Unflinching mentions part of a letter to his mother. In 1980 it is reprinted with this addition to the letter (p. 162): "Please dont Blame Jack. I Loved him he Loved me. Very seld(om) is there true love between 2 men."
1937: La Forest Potter publishes Strange Loves: A Study in Sexual Abnormalities. A chapter is devoted to "A lesbian's defense"; in this case the lesbian is from Quebec City. Potter states (p. 157): "This school (convent) proved to be a hot-bed of sapphistic and cunnilingual activities activities in which the girl joined eagerly and enthusiastically. There was no phase of tribadism - the gratification of the sexual instinct between two women - in which the young student did not become proficient ......
1945: Elizabeth Smart, a Canadian living in England, publishes her novel By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. The story revolves around three characters: a male bisexual and two women. It is not reprinted until 1977; since then it has gone unnoticed.
The last several years have seen the formation of many gay and lesbian history groups and archives. A few, such as the Lesbian Herstory Archives, the National Gay Archives and the Canadian Gay Archives, have been in existence for over seven years. Perhaps we have reached a stage where an association of these organizations for mutual benefit would be advisable.
An intimate relationship should exist between history groups and archives. If most history groups are like the Lesbian and Gay History Group of Toronto, they are seriously in need of funds and a place to deposit the material they uncover. To this end both groups benefit. To help groups to contact one another and allow others to do likewise we list here various archives and history groups. We encourage you to contact these people, offer your help and see what they can do for you.
Many of us are just beginning to discover that we have a history. In an effort to stimulate interest in our past, the following bibliography has been prepared. It is a list of important references ' dealing with gay and lesbian sexuality. For those new to our history, a few important readings are listed at the beginning. It is hoped these will lead the reader to examine the expanded bibliography which follows. Biographies are not listed here but may be found in V. L. Bullough et al An annotated bibliography of homosexuality (1976). Important Canadian works are indicated by an asterisk (*). Most of the entries can be found at the CGA. We ask readers to point out items missed and to send copies to the Archives.
In October 1980 the archives co-sponsored with Professor Michael Lynch of Erindale College, University of Toronto, a conference commemorating Walt Whitman's visit to Canada in the summer of 1880. The papers presented at the one-day event ranged from comments on Whitman's poetry to his reception in London, Ontario. Of special interest were the papers dealing with Whitman's followers. Dr. Richard M. Bucke, Whitman's host and future biographer, helped form a club based on Whitman's social beliefs. The Walt Whitman Fellowship, as the club was known eventually, attracted the interest of Flora McDonald Denison, Henry Saunders and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Whitman in Ontario was seen as an attempt to validate Whitman's homosexuality. The recent biography by Justin Kaplan called Walt Whitman: A Life fails to deal adequately with Whitman's sexuality. He suggests, however, that Whitman was a homosexual but probably did not indulge in this activity. In the March 1981 issue of the Walt Whitman Review Gay Wilson Allen, author of the 1955 biography The Solitary Singer, agrees that Whitman was "homoerotic" and states: "I would not rule out some sexual indulgence."
The Archives' own research, as well as some papers presented at the conference, clearly show that Whitman's homoerotic poetry, changes to entries in his journals, and his well-documented friendships with young men provide important clues to his true sexual identity.
We thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for a $1,000 grant which made the conference possible.
This exhibit, compiled by Professor Douglas Chambers of Trinity College and utilizing material from the CGA, was one of the most successful features of "Gay Awareness Week" at the University of Toronto, which ran from February 23-28, 1981. It provided graphic examples of, and reaction to, hate literature over several decades and was so favourably received that it was later moved to The Market Gallery.
The Archives co-sponsored with Gays at the University of Toronto a slide lecture by gay historian Allan Bérubé in November of 1980. His presentation "Marching to a Different Drummer: Coming Out in World War II" was attended by over one hundred gay men and lesbians at U of T's International Student Centre. Allan Bérubé is a member of San Francisco's Gay History Group. His discussion featured a review of the gay history of that city. Using period photographs and reading from diaries and letters, Bérubé showed how the war acted as a catalyst in bringing out large numbers of lesbians and gay men. Following the Walt Whitman conference in October, this was the second Archives' sponsored event.
To date there are over 1,100 titles in the periodical collection. While many are nearly complete runs, others are represented by single issues. Our list of lesbian holdings has been published recently as Archives Publication Number 4. It is intended that next year a comparable list of our gay holdings will be printed. These publications assist us in filling in gaps in our collection. Already lesbian groups contacted through our list of lesbian holdings have begun to supply missing issues. We hope the lists will encourage people to see us as the national repository in Canada for all such material.
Examples of rare Canadian items from the 1960's which have been acquired are: Face & Physique (Lachine), Gay International (Toronto), ASK Newsletter (Vancouver), and Two (Toronto).
These early gay periodicals are interesting for the positive coverage of the community which they provide, counteracting the negative view found in newspapers and other printed material of the period.
The Canadian Gay Archives (CGA) in keeping with the generally accepted definition of "archives," exists to collect and preserve the noncurrent records of an organization or institution because of their enduring value. The Archives also acts as a resource centre, collecting a large body of material (print, photographs, video tapes, and microforms) to be made available to the public.
While the primary field of interest for the CGA is homosexuality, it actively collects material related to the following subjects: censorship, pornography, general attitudes to sexuality, transvestism, transsexualism, and the feminist movement. Other records not directly related to any of the above topics might be found in the Archives. For example, in the McRae collection there are one hundred original costume drawings from the 1940's.
Since the founding of the Archives in 1973 it has been the stated policy that there would be public access to the collections. Like all archives, public access to donated material may be restricted by the donor. The restriction usually takes one of two forms: 1. access only with permission of the donor, or 2. access only after the passage of a specified time period decided by the donor.
In order to make the collection of the CGA as widely available to the public as possible, the Archives has advertised itself in the published directories of the Association of Canadian Archivists, the Toronto Area Archivist Group and the Association of Special Libraries. Several entries appear in the 1979-80 supplementary volume to the Union List of Manuscripts in Canadian Repositories.
It is not the intention of the Archives to compete with or duplicate material in other archives or libraries. Most of the material in the CGA cannot be found elsewhere. The Metropolitan Toronto Library, the largest reference library in Canada, recently had its newspaper clipping file on "homosexuality" stolen. They will be able to replace these from the Archives's much larger collection. Alex Spence, in preparing his bibliography Homosexuality in Canada, was able to find twice as many references at the CGA than he was able to find in Canada's largest library. Researchers have been directed to the Archives by other information centres who do not have the material required.
The Archives does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation of researchers, volunteer workers or collective members.
Gay Archivist is the official publication of the Canadian Gay Archives. Published irregularly, it is distributed free of charge. Any contribution to offset this expense will be appreciated.
Canadian Gay Archives, 24 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario. Tel (416) 977-6320
Mailing Address: Canadian Gay Archives, P.O. Box 639, Station "A", Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5W IG2