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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 2000s

2000

2000
Cleis Press included The Princess and the Outlaw, a short story by Jean Roberta in its 2000 fiction anthology Best Lesbian Erotica. Other Roberta stories were included in the 2001 and 2004 editions of the series. Jean Roberta is the nom de plume of Regina educator and activist Jean Hillabold. She has contributed many works of erotic literature, including fiction and reviews, to print anthologies, journals and adult literary websites.
2000 Regina
PFLAG Regina was officially established.
[Organizational Flyer – SAB NR]
January 17 Saskatoon
The U of S Department of Women’s and Gender Studies hosted two public lectures by Irish born lesbian writer and academic Emma Donoghue.
[Perceptions, v. 17 no. 8 1999) p. 20.]
February 25 Saskatoon
Diva’s hosted its third Miss and Mr. Diva’s drag competition. The first Miss Diva’s title was awarded to Crystal Clear in 1998. In 1999 male impersonators joined the event and Richard Everhard became the first Mr. Diva’s reigning with his partner Miss Gay Saskatoon Roxy Diva. This event has been held annually up until the date of this compilation (2005).
[Event poster – SAB NR]
March 1 Yorkton
Reform MP Garry Breitkreuz issued a press release attacking the federal government’s bill amending legislation to provide the same rights and obligations to same-sex relationships as were offered to common-law relationships. “In the 1950s buggery was a criminal offence. Now it’s a requirement to receive benefits.”
[“Reformer’s comments on homosexuals cause stir,” RLP, (March 3 2000) p. A8.]
March 18-19 Saskatoon
The third Breaking the Silence: Gays and Lesbians in the Schools conference featured a packed keynote address by Olympic swimming gold medalist Mark Tewksbury and a presentation by Barb Byers, president of the SFL.
[Shaun Humphries, “Tewskbury uses his status to help encourage others,” SSP, (March 19 2000) p. A9.]
March 22 Regina
The Regina City Police Community Liaison Committee invited the GLCR to join as a partner to help ensure that the force adequately reflected the values, needs and demands of the city’s communities. Mirtha Rivera, the GLCR representative, attended her first meeting March 22 and reported that Chief Cal Johnston asked whether he should participate in the Gay Pride parade.
[SSN, (April 2000) p. 1.]
April Regina
The Canadian Labour Congress produced a poster with portraits of unionized gay men and lesbians to raise workplace awareness of LG issues. One of the models was Donna Smith, a Regina mother, who has held leadership roles in several Saskatchewan LG groups, including the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour’s Solidarity & Pride Committee.
[SSN,(April 2000) p. 4-5.]
April 11 Ottawa
Parliament passed Bill C-23 to provide same-sex couples who had lived together more than a year the same social and tax benefits as heterosexuals in common-law relationships. The Bill amended 68 statutes relating to pensions, old age security, bankruptcies, and income tax.
April 26 - May 10 Regina
The Globe Theatre presented Terrence McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh, a bittersweet comedy exploring homophobia and intolerance and living with illnesses such as AIDS and breast cancer.
[Nick Miliokas, “Examining the differences among us,” RLP, (April 29 2002) p. D7.]
May Regina
Bev Johnson, a founding member of Illusions Regina, a social club for transgendered persons, contributed an article to Sensible Shoes News concerning the status and hopes of the transgendered, especially regarding their relationships to the LG community.
[SSN, (May 2000) p. 1-2.]
May 8-13 Regina
Richard Truscott, director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, criticized a grant to Queer City Cinema 2000, the third biennial festival of LG film and video. The festival had received $4,500 from the City of Regina upon the recommendation of the Regina Arts Commission. The festival was later attacked by Sask Party MLAs June Draude and Arlene Jule who objected to public money being used to sponsor “pornography.” The festival had received sponsorship from the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Sask Tel. It included a film screening and panel discussion on the meanings of pornography to LG communities. Bill Whatcott’s Christian Truth Activists picketed the opening night at the Regina Public Library.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 2 (March 8 2000) p. 11. / Perceptions, v. 18 no. 4 (May 31 2000) p. 11. / “Films appall Sask Party MLAs,” RLP, (May 12 2002) p. A4. / “Controversy continues: panelists say they’re proud of gay film festival,” RLP, (May 15 2000) p. A3.]
June 23 Regina
Heather Bishop performed with the Prairie Pride Chorus in a Pride week concert at the Shumiatcher Theatre. Pride week also featured a poetry slam, community awards, and a dance entitled The Great Saskatchewan Party.
[SSN, (June 2000) p. 10.]
June 24 Regina
The first province-wide Saskatchewan Pride parade attracted 400 marchers and 20 protestors. This was the first Pride march in Regina in over ten years. Speakers at the march rally included Regina Police Chief Cal Johnston and NDP MLA Mark Wartman. The provincial government declined to issue a proclamation for the event citing guidelines established by the Devine administration to avoid proclamations on issues of sexuality. In response members of the Saskatoon and Regina Pride committees filed complaints with the SHRC. From this date until 2005 the provincial march/parade alternated between Regina and Saskatoon Pride Weeks.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 5 (August 2 2000) p. 11. / “Police support Gay Pride parade,” RLP, (June 24 2000) p. A5. / “Parade shows Pride,” RLP, (June 26 2000) p. A3.]
June 26 Saskatoon
The Rainbow Flag was flown for the first time at Saskatoon City Hall. The flag raising ceremony to honor Pride Week was attended by Councillor Patricia Roe.
[Darren Bernhardt, “City hall hoists rainbow banner,” SSP, (June 27 2000) p. A3.]
September Regina
Regina’s Imperial Court of Regina distributed $4,500 to four Saskatchewan charities and granted five educational bursaries totaling $2,500 at its September Coronation Ball.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 7 (October 25 2000) p. 14.]
October Saskatoon
The U of S Community/University Institute for Social Research awarded $8,000 to GLHS to study the economic cost of homophobia..
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 7 (October 25 2000) p. 12.]
October Regina
The Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay Health Initiative of Regina released a survey of service providers in the city funded by Health Canada. Spokesperson Barb Bowditch said “It’s obvious from the survey that professionals and agencies are ill-equipped to address the problems of lesbians, gays and bisexuals.”
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 7 (October 25 2000) p. 13.]
October 12 - December 10 Saskatoon
The U of S Library presented Wilde in Saskatchewan-A Bouquet for Oscar, an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Oscar Wilde.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 6 (September 13 2000) p. 11.]
October 25 Regina
Twenty-two of the 30 candidates in the October 25 civic election responded to questionnaires circulated by the Lesbian+Bi+Gay Pride Committee dealing with LG issues. Self-styled Christian activist Bill Whatcott ran for mayor on an antigay platform and finished a distant fourth with 344 votes.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 7 (October 25 2000) p. 12, 13.]
November 18 Regina
The Prairie Pride Chorus hosted a fowl supper fundraiser, their “flaming fairy fall fowl feast” at St. James United Church. The event was a success and was repeated in later years.
[SSN, (November 2000) p. 11.]
November 25 Saskatoon
The Bridge City Chorus presented their tenth anniversary concert at the Cosmopolitan Senior Citizens Centre.
[Perceptions, v. 18 no. 17 (October 25 2000) p. 2.]

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