About the Project ...and the 22 posts below

Montreal is home to a thriving LGBTQ+ community/communities. The ACQ: Quebec Gay Archives, located in Montreal’s Gay Village, preserves the histories of these communities.



During the summer of 2018, McGill University’s Introduction to Sexual Diversity Studies class, taught by Alex Ketchum, had the opportunity to work with archivists at the ACQ in order to delve into Montreal and Canada’s LGBTQ+ history.

the AGQ

Archivist Jonathan Dorey spoke with students about the mandate and collections of the AGQ. Students had the opportunity to rifle through archival boxes, flip through papers, and view photographs from the 1960s until present.

Students also had access to 83 digitized clippings, photographs, images, and other materials.

students looking at archival materials
Each student chose one or more documents/ images/ ephemera and analyzed those materials within Montreal’s historical context and the class.

box of archival documents at the AGQ


Students had the option to make their work publicly available (or do so anonymously or opt out). They could write in english or french. This website showcases the work of the students.

When writing about LGBTQ+ history, terminology can be difficult. Some students elected to use the words that were utilized in the historical sources whereas other students used terms such as "queer," which were reclaimed in the late 1980s from their pejorative forms.

material from AGQ


You can navigate the blog by clicking on the labels tab in order to find posts about the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s.


Special thanks to Jonathan Dorey, Ross Higgins, and Iain Blair of the AGQ for their help in arranging materials.

poster from the AGQ


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