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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

1999

January 4 – 31 Saskatoon
The U of S Library hosted 25 Lives: Out and Proud, the 25th anniversary exhibition of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. The show featured portraits of 25 influential Canadian lesbians and gay men. The Regina Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee presented the show at the Neutral Ground Gallery from March 17 to March 24. The CLGA National Portrait Collection presently includes portraits of Saskatchewanians Gens Hellquist, Peter Millard, Neil Richards and Doug Wilson.
[Perceptions, v. 16 no. 8 (December 9 1998) p. 12. / Sheila Robertson, “Diverse collection honors gay, lesbian role models,” SSP, (January 16 1999) p. C13.]
January 16 Regina
The Lavender Social Club and the GLCR hosted the first women’s dance at Brixx, the dance floor at the Scarth Street Station.
[SSN, (February 1999)]
February 5 Regina
Canadian playwright Brad Fraser spoke on how AIDS had affected his art at the Regina YWCA.
[SSN, (February 1999)]
February - March Saskatoon
Glen Cairns starred in an English language production of Michel Tremblay’s Hosanna presented by 25th Street Theatre.
[“Cairns gives first-rate performance as Hosanna (Review),” SSP, (March 1 1999) p. B2.]
March 12 - 13 Saskatoon
The second Breaking the Silence conference at the U of S attracted 90. The event included a keynote address by NDP MP Svend Robinson and a presentation by Murray Warren of the Gay and Lesbian Educators of British Columbia.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 3 (April 21 1999) p. 14. / “Schools must improve welcome for homosexuals,” SSP, (March 15 1999) p. A3.]
April Saskatoon
Dr. Ivan Yackel, Director of Education for the Saskatoon Public School Division proposed an ad hoc committee to investigate LGBT issues in the school system and to make recommendations for improvements. The committee submitted its report in June 2000 recommending mandatory training on LG issues for all division staff, enhanced curriculum and increased information in school resource centres.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 8 (December 8 1999) p. 19. / Jason Warick, “Public board tackles gay issues,” SSP, (September 4 2001) p. A1, A3. / The Report of the Adhoc Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Issues (June 2000)]
April 1 Regina
The Fire Department informed the GLCR that it could not open its new Broad Street centre as scheduled because the building was not ready to meet the city’s safety codes.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 3 (April 21 1999) p. 12.]
April 8 Saskatoon
The spring conference of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation overwhelmingly supported a resolution sponsored by Prince Albert teachers to provide same-sex spousal benefits to members.
[“Same-sex partners to be eligible for STRP benefits,” Saskatchewan Bulletin (STF), (April 21 1999) p. 16.]
April 10 Moose Jaw
City Council approved amendments to the city’s pension plans in which the definition of spouse was extended to provide for same-sex spousal entitlement.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 4 (June 2 1999) p. 20.]
April 21 - May 5 Regina
The Globe Theatre presented a production of Mary Morris’s Two Weeks with the Queen directed by Ruth Smillie. The play relates the adventures of Colin, a young boy who is sent to England when his brother faces a life-threatening cancer. Among those Colin meets is Griff, a gay man whose partner Ted is hospitalized with AIDS.
[Nick Miliokas, “Humour, characters highlight bitter-sweet tale,” RLP, (April 24 1999) p. C8.]
May Ottawa
The Supreme Court ruled in M v H that same-sex couples should have the same benefits and obligations as opposite-sex common law couples and equal access to benefits from social programs. The Court ruled that the Ontario Family Law Act’s definition of ‘spouse’ as a person of the opposite sex was unconstitutional.
June Moose Jaw
Father Glenn Zimmer told delegates at the Canadian Catholic Schools Trustees’ Association convention that they must look at ways of making schools safer places for homosexuals.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 5 (July 28 1999) p. 13.]
June Saskatoon
U of S historian Dr. Valerie Korinek received a $39,000 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to research the development of lesbian and gay communities on the prairies.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 4 (June 2 1999) p. 20.]
June 8 Ottawa
MPs voted 216 to 55 to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The Liberal government declared it had no intention of legislating same-sex marriage.
June 18 - 26 Regina
The 1999 Pride Week included a ceremonial launch on the Scarth Street Mall attended by MLA Joanne Crofford and city councillor Fred Clipsham, an art exhibit (Homosaic), women’s and mixed dances and a march from Victoria Park to City Hall. The Pride Committee announced it had dropped its human rights complaint against the city for its refusal to proclaim Pride Week in 1998 when the city administration agreed to make a retroactive proclamation. Controversy erupted when host Alex Docking of CKTV asked a Pride Committee member whether the civic Pride proclamation would pave the way for a ‘Paedophiles Week.’ After public protests Docking and the CKTV station manager apologized.
[Mike O’Brien, “Double win for Regina gays, lesbians,” RLP, (June 18 1999) p. A5.]
June 23 - 24 Regina
Glen Wood premiered his film Community Building at the GLCR during Pride Week. The 115 minute work followed the troubled renovation of the community’s new facility on Broad Street and included interviews with members of the community about their memories and hopes for the future.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 4 (June 2 1999) p. 19.]
July 16 Regina
An Immigration and Refugee Board panel gave a gay refugee named Eduardo permission to stay in Canada. Eduardo claimed he was a victim of homophobia in his home country El Salvador. He received help in his resettlement from members of Regina’s LG communities.
[SSN, (September 1999)]
July 24 Regina
Hugh Owens filed a human rights complaint against the Regina Leader-Post when it refused to accept a new series of ‘pure heterosexual’ advertisements based on Biblical verses.
[“Leader-Post, company officer face human rights complaint,” RLP, (July 24 1999) p. A7.]
July 31 - August 7 Saskatoon
Realife Productions and AIDS Saskatoon presented BraveHearts, an AIDS themed play by Harry Rintoul at the Saskatoon Fringe.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 5 (July 28 1999) p. 22.]
August 23 - 31 Saskatoon
Lawyer Valerie Watson presided as adjudicator of the SHRC tribunal established to judge the complaints filed in 1997 against Hugh Owens and the StarPhoenix.
[Kim McNairn, “Anti-gay critic a hypocrite: lawyer,” SSP, (August 31 1999) p. A5.]
Fall Regina
Coteau Books published Brenda Baker’s The Maleness of God, a collection of short stories. The title story concerns a Christian mother who feels torn between her love for her gay son and her allegiance to her husband and God.
September 24 - December 5 Regina
The Mackenzie Art Gallery presented Exposed: Aesthetics of Aboriginal Erotic Art. The exhibition presented images that celebrated and reclaimed aspects of sexuality, eroticism and desire within an aboriginal context. Artists exploring same gender-desire included Ahasiw Maskegon-Iskwew, Norval Morrisseau, and Regina native Thirza Cuthand.
[Lee-Ann Martin, Exposed: Aesthetics of Aboriginal Erotic Art (Regina: Mackenzie Art Gallery, 1999)]
October 22 - November 5 Saskatoon
The Queer Project, an installation event by Peterborough artist Spencer Harrison, was brought to Saskatoon by St. Thomas-Wesley United Church. Large paintings dealing with gay-bashing and its effects on LG people were installed in the church sanctuary and in other public spaces across the city. Both City Council and City Police Chief Dave Scott refused to allow installations in their buildings. When questioned on the church’s objective, a spokesperson said simply: “to end the violence.”
[Jillian MacPherson, “Artist battles homophobia,” SSP, (October 22 1999) p. A4.]
November Regina
The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour began a positive space campaign to promote welcoming workplaces for LGBT workers.
[SSN, (November 1999)]
December Saskatoon
Perceptions reported that the Ukrainian Federation Hall had been sold to a Christian organization and would no longer be available for community rentals. The hall had been the venue for dozens of successful LG and AIDS events in the 1980s and 1990s.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 8 (December 8 1999) p. 3.]

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