“A Handful of Precious Rebels”: Queer Organizing in 20th Century N.L.

Thursday, Feb. 29, 7:30-9 p.m.

IIC-2001, Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation; online

Newfoundland and Labrador has a rich history of queer community-building and activism. Organizing kicked into high-gear 50 years ago with the establishment of the Community Homophile Association of Newfoundland (CHAN), the province’s first formally organized queer activist group. In the ensuing two decades a succession of community groups would form to carry on a bold, vibrant struggle for rights, winning legislated human rights protections for the grounds of sexual orientation in 1997.

Please joins us as Rhea Rollmann presents an overview of queer activism and community organizing in 20th century Newfoundland and Labrador, paying particular attention to the complicated relationship between NL and mainland Canadian activism. This relationship was a complex one. Homophobic institutions and actors sought to tar home-grown activism with the taint of mainland influence, generating a self-consciousness that shaped the way mainland activists presented themselves. At the same time, NL-based as well as diasporic queer NL activists played an important role in shaping Canadian activism at the national level. This talk will explore these historical dynamics, which have remained relevant in shaping rights struggles into the present-day.

This is an in-person event and will also be live-streamed online at A Handful of Precious Rebels.

Join by meeting number

Meeting number (access code): 2774 509 8452

Meeting password: 33hTTSveP6T

Presented by N.L. Historical Society

Event Listing 2024-02-29 19:30:00 2024-02-29 21:00:00 America/St_Johns “A Handful of Precious Rebels”: Queer Organizing in 20th Century N.L. Newfoundland and Labrador has a rich history of queer community-building and activism. Organizing kicked into high-gear 50 years ago with the establishment of the Community Homophile Association of Newfoundland (CHAN), the province’s first formally organized queer activist group. In the ensuing two decades a succession of community groups would form to carry on a bold, vibrant struggle for rights, winning legislated human rights protections for the grounds of sexual orientation in 1997. Please joins us as Rhea Rollmann presents an overview of queer activism and community organizing in 20th century Newfoundland and Labrador, paying particular attention to the complicated relationship between NL and mainland Canadian activism. This relationship was a complex one. Homophobic institutions and actors sought to tar home-grown activism with the taint of mainland influence, generating a self-consciousness that shaped the way mainland activists presented themselves. At the same time, NL-based as well as diasporic queer NL activists played an important role in shaping Canadian activism at the national level. This talk will explore these historical dynamics, which have remained relevant in shaping rights struggles into the present-day. This is an in-person event and will also be live-streamed online at A Handful of Precious Rebels. Join by meeting number Meeting number (access code): 2774 509 8452 Meeting password: 33hTTSveP6T IIC-2001, Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation; online N.L. Historical Society