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Gay Pride Flag Saskatchewan Resources for Sexual Diversity
Saskatchewan Resources for Sexual Diversity

Celebrating a History of Diversity:

Lesbian and Gay Life in Saskatchewan, 1971 - 2006
A Selected Annotated Chronology

The 1990s

1991

1991 Regina
Coteau Books published The I.Q. Zoo, a collection of gay short stories by Peter McGehee. The cover was illustrated by Dik Campbell. This was the first gay themed book to be published by a Saskatchewan commercial publisher.
February Saskatoon
25th Street Theatre presented a production of Being At Home With Claude, Quebecois playwright Rene-Daniel Dubois’s play about obsessive love and sexual violence.
[“Actor O’Shea delivers in demanding role (Review),” SSP, (February 25 1991) p. C3.]
March Regina
Neutral Ground presented Real Men/Real Women: A Photo Study of What Is Not. The exhibition displayed photographic portraits of subjects who were asked to dress as a member of ‘the opposite sex’ and then express her or his personality.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 3 (April 24 1991) p. 20.]
March Regina
The SHRC notified representatives of the Regina Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee that it had found probable cause to justify their 1990 complaints against Police Chief Ernie Reimer for rejecting a Pride parade permit.
[Therese Macdonald, “Gays claim parade victory,” RLP, (March 22 1991) p. A1.]
March 14 Regina
The collective of The Carillon, the U of R student newspaper, voted not to run an article on safer sex for gay men that had been distributed by Canadian University Press. After public criticism from AIDS Regina, other Canadian student newspapers, and from U of R students, the collective decided to publish an eight page LG supplement. After more editorial difficulties this supplement was finally published on April 11. Inside the Carillon’s year-end issue was a photo of the collective members titled “Homophobes Pause for Photo.”
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 4 (June 12 1991) p. 12. / Muriel Draaisma, “Carillon won’t run sex item,” RLP, (March 20 1991) p. B8.]
April Saskatoon
Representatives of AIDS organizations, reserves, tribal councils and addiction centers met to discuss AIDS in aboriginal communities and the possibility of establishing a Feather of Hope Society in Saskatchewan.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 3 (April 24 1991) p. 10.]
April 7 Saskatoon
Peter McGehee performed a reading from Boys Like Us, an autobiographical first novel, at the Saskatoon Public Library.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 2 (March 6 1991) p. 19.]
May 18 Regina
An ceremony inducting Baron I and Baroness I of Regina at the Scarth Street Station marked the establishment of the Imperial Court organization in Regina. The Regina court is operated by the Regal Social Association of Regina (RSAR). Their Imperial Court of the Sovereign Body – Golden Wheat Sheaf Empire is still operating in 2005. The drag performers use their events as fundraisers for student bursaries and to support LG, AIDS and other charities.
[Hockley]
June Regina
Neutral Ground Gallery presented Imagined Self, a multimedia installation examining sexual and gender identity by Nikki Forrest.
[Greg Beatty, “A Look from the margins (Review),” RLP, (June 19 1991) p. C5.]
June 22 Regina
One hundred people marched in the city’s second Pride march. The Pride committee was again refused a civic proclamation and a parade permit. Marchers shouted, “We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not about to disappear.”
[Maureen MacNeill, “Mixed views on parade,” RLP, (June 24 1991) p. A3.]
August Saskatoon
Saskatoon’s second annual Fringe Festival included a local production of Lanford Wilson’s AIDS themed play A Poster of the Cosmos. Many productions with gay, lesbian, queer and feminist themes have been presented by local and touring groups at subsequent Saskatoon Fringes.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 5 (August 14 1991) p. 21.]
August 30 - September 2 Regina
The Regina Zephyrs Sports Group hosted its first annual Golden Crown Tournament for gay and lesbian volleyball. The tournament was designed to accommodate all levels of playing skill.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 5 (August 14 1991) p. 2.]
September 7-14 Regina
The Imperial Court of the Golden Wheat Sheaf presented its first Coronation Ball at the Scarth Street Station. Dale and Anita Lay were crowned first Emperor and Empress of Regina.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 5 (August 14 1991) p. 17.]
Fall Saskatoon
Peter Millard, chair of the U of S English Department, taught English 893.3, an examination of social attitudes towards homosexuality in literature. This was the first gay studies course offered at the U of S.
[Elizabeth Dunleavy, “Homosexuality and literature,” The Sheaf, (September 19 1991)]
September 25 Saskatoon
A meeting established The Bridge City Men’s Chorus, a choral group for gay men. Founders included Bruce Garman, Ron Knoll, Neil Thomlinson and Ralph Wushke. After its first full-length concert in May 1993, women asked to join and the chorus decided to become a LGB community chorus. The name was changed to the Bridge City Chorus for the 1993-94 season. The chorus was still active in 2005. The first musical director was David Carlin. Subsequent musical directors were Elaine Thaller (1993 - 1995), Marie Jolly (1995 - 2000), Naomi Friesen (2000 - 2004), and Carole Courtney (2004 - ).
[Perceptions, v. 10 no.1 (February 5 1992) p. 6.]
September 25 Kindersley
Stephen Millard described his experiences as a gay sports reporter at a small town Saskatchewan paper.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 5 (September 25 1991) p. 5.]
October 6 - November 17 Saskatoon
The Photographers Gallery presented Hesitations: Reminders and Contradiction, Montreal artist David Williams’ exploration of AIDS angst in gay men.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 5 (September 25 1991) p. 7.]
October 21
The NDP won a landslide victory in the province’s general election. During the campaign the Conservatives presented themselves as the only party willing to stand up for ‘family values’. In Regina Churchill Downs PC candidate Rev. John Bergen claimed that homosexuals would bring an end to civilization and called for mandatory HIV testing and AIDS free restaurants. In Saskatoon Riversdale PC candidate Gay Caswell equated homosexuality with pedophilia and claimed that the NDP would close churches and jail pastors if they preached a traditional biblical perspective on perversion. The Coalition in Support of the Family led by Dale Hassett distributed 170,000 copies of a forty page booklet entitled The Real Issues. Where Do They Stand? that attacked what were claimed to be the positions of the Liberal Party and the NDP on homosexuality and abortion.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 7 (November 6 1991) p. 8-9. / Randy Burton, “Morality campaign takes shape,” SSP, (September 28 1991) p. A3.]
November 21-23 Regina
Guy Michaud directed a production of Victor Bumbalo’s AIDS themed play Adam and the Experts for AIDS Regina.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 7 (November 6 1991) p. 2.]
November 23 Saskatoon
GLHS received a federal grant for $99,260, a first of its kind in Canada, for a two year project to promote a better understanding of LG issues by counsellors and social service/health agencies. The organization was initially co-chaired by Antonia Botting and Michael McCoy and was still operating in 2005.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 7 (November 6 1991) p. 10. / “Support groups for gays get funding from Ottawa,” SSP, (November 23 1991) p. A6.]
December 4 Saskatoon
Daryl Lubiniecki, general manager of the Saskatoon Blades hockey club, responded to a reporter’s question about AIDS in sport. “The doctors have told me the highest risk is in the gay community. I think that we’re free of those types of people here. I don’t think we have people with weak wrists in this dressing room.” The comments unleashed a flurry of AIDS media coverage including editorials and letters critical of Lubiniecki. At the Blade’s next home game AIDS Saskatoon and artist/athlete Grant Shilling handed out condoms in ‘Blade Guard’ covers that said ‘AIDS is not a weak wrist issue.’
[James Parker, “Heroes and Aids,” SSP, (December 5 1991) p. B1. / Ken Juba, “Blade guards serve to burst the bubble of ignorance,” SSP, (December 9 1991) p. B1.]
December 18
Perceptions reported the AIDS related death of Les McAfee, a founding member and driving force of EGALE, the national organization fighting for changes in human rights law. McAfee was born in Quinton (SK) in 1951 and was a graduate of the U of R.
[Perceptions, v. 9 no. 8 (December 19 1991) p. 12.]

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