Audio reel is labelled with "1:19 Teaser- French [...] (all musical) Begins 'You can always tell...' Ends "The French don't care what they do actually - as long as they pronouce it properly."
Audio reel is labelled with "1:19 Teaser- French [...] (all musical) Begins 'You can always tell...' Ends "The French don't care what they do actually - as long as they pronouce it properly."
The Community Homophile Association of Toronto fonds is composed of organizational records that document CHAT’s governance and administration, its community outreach efforts, education, support services, political advocacy, and its resource library. It includes bylaws and minutes, financial stateme…
1.4m of textual records
38 photographs: 18 b&w print; 20 x 24cm or smaller.- 20 b&w negatives
2 audiocasettes
2 audio reels: ¼” open reel tapes
3 rubber stamps
Extent
1.4m of textual records
Physical Condition
Records are in good condition.
History / Biographical
Finding its roots in the University of Toronto Homophile Association, the Community Homophile Association of Toronto was officially established on January 3, 1971. Given the growing public interest in the UTHA, the need for a community organization outside of the University became apparent to members of the UTHA. On December 11, 1970, an inaugural meeting was held to officially establish the Community Homophile Association of Toronto. A steering committee of 15 members was appointed, with George Hislop as its Interim Director. CHAT’s first public meeting was held at the Holy Trinity Church in February 1971. A Board of Directors was elected on March 3, 1972, which included George Hislop, Patricia Murphy, Clive Bell, Kathleen Brindley and 6 general members. CHAT’s first meeting was attended by approximately 50 people. By 1972, the Association had 400 paid members, with 150 regular meeting attendees. CHAT’s first office was located at 6 Charles Street. The Association was incorporated in 1974.
CHAT’s work as a service community group centered around its “central plank to come out of the state of fear and apprehension which surrounds the public assertion of one’s rights of sexuality”, with a secondary aim to achieve equal civil rights to those of heterosexuals. CHAT’s work sought to provide support services, education, community events and political advocacy.
Soon after the Association was established, it received a Federal grant through the Opportunities for Youth Project. This grant of $9000 allowed the Association to provide in person counselling, a 24 hour distress line and legal, medical and psychiatric referrals to the public. Once these funds ran out, these services were maintained by CHAT volunteers. Soon after, CHAT applied for the Local Initiatives Program Grant which was rejected. The Association reapplied with letters of support from the Ontario Mental Hospital, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and other distress centres operating in Toronto, and was awarded a grant of $14,602 with extension. This grant was used to employ 8 staff members to restaff the distress centre and to work on educationals for schools and universities.
In addition to its support services, education and community events were central to the Association's operations. In its early days, CHAT held weekly general meetings at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, which would would involve discussion groups and guest speakers. In 1972, CHAT established Canada’s first gay community centre at 58 Cecil Street. Formerly a Jewish Synagogue and Chinese Catholic Community Centre, this space provided enough room for CHAT's offices, events and weekly or biweekly dances. The 58 Cecil Street Community Centre was the departure point for Toronto’s first Gay Pride Week in 1972.
CHAT community events took place on a regular basis, and included dances, coming out nights (for those who had recently come out), women’s nights and coffee sessions. A resource library was also established, which provided the public with reference material on a variety of subjects, and homophile and gay liberation groups from across North America.
Although CHAT’s efforts were largely focused on community education and support, it also was involved in political advocacy. CHAT submitted a number of briefs and lobbied the Provincial and Federal Governments on a variety of issues and existing legislation, which included the Immigration Act, the Criminal Code and the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Association was also involved in the National Gay Rights Coalition and National Gay Election Coalition. Additionally, CHAT played a role in organizing and co-sponsoring events and demonstrations in Toronto and Ottawa. These included Toronto’s first gay picnic at Hanlan’s Point in 1971, Toronto’s first annual Gay Pride Week in 1972, a rally of Canadian and American gay groups to the Ontario Legislature and at Parliament Hill.
In June 1973, CHAT's community space moved to 201 Church Street, while CHAT administrative and counselling offices relocated to 223 Church Street. In the fall of 1977 CHAT moved to a smaller office located at 19 St. Joseph Street due to declining membership and interest. CHAT disbanded at the end of 1977.
Scope and Content
The Community Homophile Association of Toronto fonds is composed of organizational records that document CHAT’s governance and administration, its community outreach efforts, education, support services, political advocacy, and its resource library. It includes bylaws and minutes, financial statements, grant applications, membership cards and applications, telephone logs, flyers, newsletters, briefs, correspondence, and resources collected on various subjects and homophile and gay liberation groups from across North America.
Contains series:
1- Administration
2- Outreach, Education and Events
3- CHAT Library and Resources
4- Political Advocacy
5- Correspondence
6- Objects and Audiovisual Material
Notes
Preferred Citation: Community Homophile Association of Toronto, F0133, The ArQuives, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The collection is open to researchers. Personal information from the membership subseries (1.3) cannot be published, which includes the files listed below:
F0133-01-022
F0133-01-023
F0133-01-024
F0133-01-025
F0133-01-026
F0133-01-027
Copyright
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in writing from The ArQuives as the physical owner. Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in the materials. Note that The ArQuives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Conservation
The majority of binders, paperclips and staples were removed. Paper separators were added where necessary.
Arrangement
Records from the first accession of Community Homophile Association of Toronto records were processed by Paul Yee and Bob Krawczyk in the 1980s. This accession was reprocessed and finalized to include the second accession of CHAT by Ariana Ho to reflect a fonds in 2019. Original order was kept where possible.
SIDE A:
The interview opens with Lionel saying they will ‘pick up where they left off’. Alan discusses taking the first gay-oriented course at University of Toronto, taught by Michael Lynch. Alan also mentions attending a few CHAT meetings. Alan also discusses the danger of cruising, and particular…
SIDE A:
The interview opens with Lionel saying they will ‘pick up where they left off’. Alan discusses taking the first gay-oriented course at University of Toronto, taught by Michael Lynch. Alan also mentions attending a few CHAT meetings. Alan also discusses the danger of cruising, and particularly cruising theatres in Calgary. Alan discusses evaluating where he wants his future to go, and trying to under go a life ‘cleaning’ physically, emotionally and intellectually. Alan also mentions taking a weekend course titled ‘AIDS Mastery’. Alan discusses the various lessons taught in the workshops, including telling himself that he loved himself, and looking at himself in the mirror for at least one minute every day. Alan mentions being caught cruising in Bloor station by the police, but he can’t remember if he was taken to the police station.
Dates and locations discussed: Toronto, Calgary, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
SIDE B:
Alan recounts a story of him cruising north of the creek in David Balfour Park, and being caught with a partner. Alan also recounts his positive test results for his HIV test, and how he coped with discovering he tested seropositive at a time when very little information on HIV and the validity of test results was available or accessible. Alan recounts telling his sexual partners about his results, and many of them still wanting to have sex with him. Alan predominantly has oral sex, and he does not enjoy using condoms due to the texture and taste of them. Alan questions the terminology of not taking any ‘unnecessary risks’ — as, under that framework, it appears sex as a whole is unnecessary. He considers attending a sex addiction treatment program, so that he can go abstinent. Alan talks about his other HIV positive friends, some of whom have stayed with him. Alan discusses attending church, and particularly his likes and dislikes for MCC (Metropolitan Community Church). Alan says he feels like an alien, a misfit on the planet. Many of the churches he has attended have validated this feeling for him.
Dates and locations discussed: Toronto, 1970s, 1980s
Access Restrictions
N/A
Location - Original
CLGA only in possession of digital copy. Cassette tape retained by Lionel Collier
SIDE A:
NOTE: The archivist notes that this interviewee’s voice sounds extremely similar to Alan McMurray. It is likely that ‘AM’ refers to Alan McMurray. However, note that — if this is true — we presently only have sides 1 and 2, and sides 5 and 6, of Lionel’s fifth interview with Alan McMurray. …
SIDE A:
NOTE: The archivist notes that this interviewee’s voice sounds extremely similar to Alan McMurray. It is likely that ‘AM’ refers to Alan McMurray. However, note that — if this is true — we presently only have sides 1 and 2, and sides 5 and 6, of Lionel’s fifth interview with Alan McMurray. Additionally. there is no date written down on this tape, nor is it mentioned in the recordings.
Recording begins mid-interview, with AM discussing flirting a member of a church he is somehow affiliated with. AM reviews a set of photographs with Lionel, with subjects including AM’s family, himself working as a dance teacher, and previous partners of AM. Lionel tells his own story of a police encounter, while cruising and having oral sex with a man in a park in Toronto. Lionel ran away from the police and managed to escape arrest. Lionel and AM then discuss about Peter Maloney being ‘slimy’. They also discuss having sex with men whom they are not attracted to.
Dates and locations discussed: Toronto, 1970s, 1980s
SIDE B:
Lionel continues to review photographs, including photos from AM’s trip to Salt Lake City, and his extended family. AM discusses various places he lives, and the places he would cruise — including park washrooms and hotels that had glory holes in Sarnia and Detroit.
Dates and locations discussed: Sarnia, Detroit, Toronto, 1970s, 1980s
Access Restrictions
N/A
Location - Original
CLGA only in possession of digital copy. Cassette tape retained by Lionel Collier
SIDE E:
Bob recounts being arrested for taking a young sex worker to a John, after his wire was tapped. At the time of his arrest, the baths were already surrounded by the police as well. Upon returning to the baths, there were about 300 gay people on the streets, screaming and shouting and rocking…
SIDE E:
Bob recounts being arrested for taking a young sex worker to a John, after his wire was tapped. At the time of his arrest, the baths were already surrounded by the police as well. Upon returning to the baths, there were about 300 gay people on the streets, screaming and shouting and rocking the police cars - gathered from the nearby bars when folks realized the Tubs were being raided (including George Hislop and Peter Maloney). Bob mentions that the Hot Tub raids were the only baths where they did not arrest any of the ‘found-ins’. Bob mentions another bath, were patrons during the raid had the room numbers written on their backs in black crayon. While being interrogated, Bob requested to see Peter Maloney, Maloney told Bob they had 18 charges on him. Bob and Peter were taken to 51 Division. Bob’s bail was set at 5000$. The Tubs opened up the night after (closed only for one night), but fewer and fewer clients came due to fear of the raids. Soon after, they had lost 70% of their patronage, and Bob decided to close it. But, the employees demanded to keep it open, offering to reduce their wages or work for free. Interview cuts out at 15 minutes, and subsequently the audio comes in and out. Bob has to leave, so the interview cuts out.
Another interview recorded on the same tape begins. This was recorded on June 18, 1988 (two weeks later). Bob decided to drive down to a Florida with a young man, where Bob got jobs working at two hotels, and the young man got a job at Burger King (this was around June). The young man, Derek, stole all of Bob’s stuff and left Florida back for Toronto. Bob rented another car and tried to find him, driving all the way to New York. While in New York, Bob began working at an escort agency, and then expanded the service into Boston. While in Boston, an informant let the police know Bob was there. The police caught an underage sex worker working with the agency. Bob was taken to court, and charged for ‘transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution’. He says he could not be charged for this as he had not transported the sex worker. Bob discusses the details of his court trail, and his experience at a federal prison in Lake Placid. Bob came back to Canada through a prisoner exchange program, and thus was able to serve the two jail sentences at once. Bob moved to Middlehaven, a maximum security prison in Kingston, and was then transferred to Joyceville (medium security), where he served time for two years.
Dates and locations discussed: Toronto, Boston, Kingston, Florida, New York, 1980s
SIDE F:
While in Joyceville, Bob received a large inheritance, and called a lawyer in Kingston, who guided him to plead guilty to all 18 charges (including sodomy). After pleading guilty, the judge did not give Bob much time (even despite the unrecovered car) - totalling to only 18 months total, running concurrently with the sentence from the states. In the end, Bob was in prison from the beginning of 1981, until 1984 (and was away from Toronto for all the bathhouse raids demonstrations). Bob further discusses his friend, Eddy, who was bludgeoned to death by an ashtray by a young man. Bob talks about the evolution of gay community in Toronto, and no longer feeling like there is a ‘gay family’ because of influx of gay men attending the bars. Bob also mentions a dissatisfaction with Xtra, and the closing of Body Politic. Bob also discusses the guides to gay businesses in Toronto he published in Toronto. At the end of the tape, Lionel and Bob talk about perceptions of the gay community in the 80s and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Bob speaks briefly on his faith, and seeing ‘certain prophecies fulfilled’. Lionel strongly disagrees, having also been raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, and emphasizes his feelings on JW perspectives on ‘homosexuality’.
Dates and locations discussed: Toronto, Joyceville, Kingston, 1980s
Access Restrictions
N/A
Location - Original
CLGA only in possession of digital copy. Cassette tape retained by Lionel Collier
SIDE A:
Lionel briefly discusses with Alan his own experience living in Toronto. Alan was born in Orton, Alberta in 1926. When he lived there, it was a rural farm community, that was mostly Mormon. McMurray gets emotional discussing a his father’s nervous breakdown, suicidal tendencies. His father …
SIDE A:
Lionel briefly discusses with Alan his own experience living in Toronto. Alan was born in Orton, Alberta in 1926. When he lived there, it was a rural farm community, that was mostly Mormon. McMurray gets emotional discussing a his father’s nervous breakdown, suicidal tendencies. His father was eventually was taken away. McMurray began crying. Alan discusses his own mental health, and his feeling “really deserted”. At age 38, Alan found out that his birth was by accident, and that his mother wanted a daughter or no child at all. Alan moved to Calgary later in life. Alan begins to cry again, about leaving his brother in Orton when they moved to Calgary. His brother in Orton died, by committing suicide, while living in Calgary. Alan felt it was his fault, and stating that if he wasn’t born his brother would not have died.
Dates and locations discussed: Orton, Calgary, Alberta, Toronto, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
SIDE B:
CW: Misogyny, ableism (use of the “r-word”), bestiality
Alan discusses early life experiences, around the age of 5, including a sexual experience with a young girl, which involved oral sex. The young girl then told his mother about it, and Alan was punished. Alan said that, after that, he made a decision that “women could never be trusted”. Alan also describes Orton as an exclusionary community, and the mormons there as hypocritical. Alan discusses other early sexual experiences with boys. Then, Alan recounts a sexual experience in Calgary at age 13. Alan recounts engaging in bestiality, having a sexual experience with a dog. Alan, says that, comtemporaneous to the interview, he does not practice safe sex. He says he has come down with a flu, and is afraid that he might have HIV/AIDS. Lionel advises Alan to have safe sex, and that “safe sex is better than no sex at all”. Alan feels that there are “no guarantees”. Lionel describes the HIV/AIDS epidemic as “war”. Both him and Alan feel that, in the future, not only their community (gay men) will be suffering from HIV/AIDS. Lionel discusses boycotting Donna Summer due to her comments about HIV/AIDS.
Dates and locations discussed: Orton, Calgary, Alberta, Toronto, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
Access Restrictions
N/A
Location - Original
CLGA only in possession of digital copy. Cassette tape retained by Lionel Collier
