The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is dis-proportionally victimized by hate crimes, bullying and assault, sometimes so consistently that the victims feel death is their only escape. While estimates of LGBT population in Canada range…

Everett George Klippert was the last person to be imprisoned for homosexuality in Canada. In 1960, he is given four years in jail on eighteen counts of ‘gross indecency’. He is arrested again in 1965, this time on four counts of ‘gross indecency’,…

On March 3, 1975, Michel Gravel was arrested for running two male nude modelling agencies that were used as a front for a prostitution service. Allegedly, he was getting leaned on by mafia and went to the police for help, who ended up arresting him…

The Lord Elgin's queer history is legendary, and starts virtually at its opening in 1941. Located near the drill hall, it became a natural space for closeted gay and bisexual men, especially those working the government, to meet here. In the 50s and…

The history of the lesbian community in Ottawa begins well before the modern queer liberation and feminist movements that started in the early seventies.Gay women were left with even fewer options to meet each other than gay men who had at least had…

Gays of Ottawa (GO) which became ALGO then ALGBO as the name reflected the realities of the diversity in the community, had a nearly 25 year history from 1971 to 1995 as a queer political, social and health services organization. Started months after…

Gays of Ottawa (GO) which became ALGO then ALGBO as the name reflected the realities of the diversity in the community, had a nearly 25 year history from 1971 to 1995 as a queer political, social and health services organization. Started months after…

Pink Triangle Services, which recently changed its name to Kind, has a long and interesting history. In 1984, Gays of Ottawa (GO) was recognizing that funding was hard to obtain without a charitable designation. It was decided that a new organization…

363 Bank Street was the location of a series of gay bars run in the 1990s that helped changed the face of the neighbourhood significantly. The bars that occupied the space before, such as the Gilmour and Neon, were country bars known to attract a…

On the corner of Bank and Gilmour Streets, a mural commissioned by the Village Committee was unveiled on the 40th anniversary of the 'We Demand' demonstration, the first ever such protest in Canada for LGBT rights. It shows a young Charlie Hill…

On February 15, 2006, then city councillor Diane Holmes hosted a town hall meeting for the LGBT community seeking input from the community regarding the reconstruction of Bank Street. The meeting, with approximately 100 in attendance, makes clear…