Reeks 2 - Hamilton-McMaster LGBTQ+ Groups

The Hamilton-McMaster Gay Liberation Movement, the first gay liberation group in Hamilton, was founded by Dr. John Stewart and Susan Rosenthal after a lecture on homosexuality by George Hislop of the Community Homophile Association (CHAT) in November 1972. It was officially established with its first executive committee on January 1973. They changed their name to McMaster Homophile Association (MHA) on January 1976 and was active until 1979 under the name Hamilton-McMaster Homophile Association. The Hamilton-McMaster Homophile Association was a member of the National Gay Rights Coalition (NGRC), an organization of gay associations across Canada who challenged federal government laws regarding homosexuality. They were also a member of the Coalition for Gay Rights in Ontario (later known as Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario, CLGRO), an organization of lesbian and gay groups and individuals focused in Ontario. They hosted dances, educational programs, established Hamilton’s first Gayline, and produced the Dialogue newsletters. The Hamilton-McMaster Homophile Association was also politically active and submitted briefs to the Ontario Human Rights Commission to include sexual orientation within the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Association of McMaster (formerly Gay and Lesbian Association at McMaster) was a social and support network for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals that began in 1986 and received support from the Hamilton United Gay Societies (HUGS). They had weekly support groups, social groups, peer counselling, educational presentations, a radio show on CFMU 93.3 FM, and a column on The Silhouette. GLBAM was a member of CLGRO and the Coalition of Lesbians and Gays on Campus (CLGC).

Series consists of administrative records such as constitutions and by-laws, financial statements, correspondence, newspaper clippings, the Dialogue newsletters from the Hamilton-McMaster Gay Liberation Movement, The 10% newsletters from the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Association of McMaster (GLBAM), The Phoenix and 10% newsletters, and The Silhouette newspaper clippings.