SIDE C:
Bill describes Kit as possessive, and says he did not love him. AS a result, Kit kicked him out, and Bill moved to a place in Yorkville. Bill’s experience with Kit made him ‘lose faith in the gay life’. In his new home, Merle, a housemate, confessed his love for Bill. Also, Bill met a man a…
SIDE C:
Bill describes Kit as possessive, and says he did not love him. AS a result, Kit kicked him out, and Bill moved to a place in Yorkville. Bill’s experience with Kit made him ‘lose faith in the gay life’. In his new home, Merle, a housemate, confessed his love for Bill. Also, Bill met a man at the King Cole Room named Paul, a lawyer, who asked Bill to live with him. Bill ran into Paul sleeping with a woman, and decided to move out. Bill moved into another man’s home, Lorne, down the hall from Paul, but he was uninterested in Lorne. He then met another man in the King Cole Room. He mentions wasting 10 years of his life with a man named Nuell (sp?) who was older than him. They stayed together until Nuell died. He also describes his experiences with alcoholism, and quitting drinking with Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill feels sadness about the gay community in the 1980s. He describes the St Charles as dreadful, and full of loneliness. He then describes some of the drag queens at the Bay House: Peggy O’Neill, and Geraldine. He describes them as ‘tough’. He never got into any fights, but he feels that gay men were ‘tough’ in those days. He discusses his sobriety, and the impact it has on his sex life.
Dates and locations discussed: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Toronto
SIDE D:
The archivist notes that the date recorded on this tape seems to be incorrect. The recording picks up mid-sentence, discussing someone named Michael who has been phoning BC Bill discusses Paul: Paul got married, and moved to England. It is rumoured that Paul passed away. He also mentions that Kit moved to Florida. Bill says he could never sleep with close friends, Collier says that doing that is ‘what friends are for’. Bill discusses visiting the Romans, his first and only experience in the baths; Bill met someone who was nice there, but he did not take him home. He describes feeling ‘guilty’ after visiting the bathhouse. He discusses lesser known parks for curising, specifically a park near Lawrence station in Toronto (possibly Muir Gardens?). He slept with a priest that he met in this park. He also mentions that he has a partner, John, at the time of the interview, but he feels uncertain if John loves him. He mentions that he is not interested in younger men, and does not do the Grosvenor strip. Bill also expresses his attraction to Lionel Collier, the interviewer. Bill discusses Peter Marshall. He met Peter Marshall through Letros. The audio is interrupted at this point (approx 20 min in). The audio returns with Bill continuing his description of Peter Marshall. Bill also discusses his experience coming out to his aunt, and his experiences with alcohol. He also discusses an altercation with the police, and the murder and investigation of his friend Jim Taylor, who was beaten to death by baseball bat 12 years prior to Interview. He discusses the murder of his other friend, Jimmy McIntyre, and the suicide of his friend Ray.
Dates and locations discussed: 1970s, 1980s, Toronto
Access Restrictions
N/A
Location - Original
CLGA only in possession of digital copy. Cassette tape retained by Lionel Collier
