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When we think of the word “pride”, it is usually associated with queer history and the Stonewall riots in America. Canada however has its own rich history and turning points in the obstacles that led to the eventual celebration of rights and freedoms for the queer community. In 1971, over 100 people gathered around parliament hill for Canada’s first Gay Liberation Protest. People came from all over Ontario and Quebec, especially Toronto and Montreal. The people presented a petition to the government which listed demands for equal rights and protections. In the years that followed, the movement gained momentum. The Bathhouse Raids that took place in 1981 in Toronto proved to be a turning point in the relationship between Toronto police and the queer community as unnecessary arrests led to charges being dropped and training programs being implemented for police. Still, the progress did not end there as incidents that took place in the years that followed, such as the GLAD Day Bookshop Raid and Montreals Katakombes Bar Raids, proved the struggle for equality was ongoing.

Pride Month is a time when we celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQ+ communities. It is a time for healing and a reminder of the importance of living out loud and everyone being their authentic selves. In the month of June, we celebrate being proud of the various identities that exist, however it is something we should be doing year-round. Despite the many victories and growing acceptance of the community, there is still a lot that we must do as any hard-fought rights and freedoms can be taken away.

To help you get started with that work OISE Library has put together a selection of books and films that explore that LGBTQ+ experience from a widespread diversity of perspectives. We encourage all staff, students, faculty and community members to learn from and take with you to your classrooms these resources that encompass a rich LGBTQIA2S+ history and their many cultural contributions.

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Struggling to select keywords in your LGBTQ studies research? The following tips might prove useful to you:

Using initials such as “LGBT” or “LGBTQIA” as search terms might not give the results you are seeking in the library catalog or available databases due to some scholarship focusing on specific identity groups as opposed to a spectrum of identities.
The above initials have been used since the 1990s and reflect the naming conventions of the decades that follow, though the order and the acronym change often.
Keep in mind while searching that several terms and subject classifications utilized in academic literature may differ from the language that is used in everyday language and/or activist movements.
To enhance your search through the library database(s), ensure you are using Boolean Operators to structure your search terms and maximize results. For example, if your research is based on laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, you might search “legal status” AND “lesbian” OR “bisexual” OR “transgender”.
Historic terms which are offensive, outdated or inaccurate may need to be used as search terms. We understand that some of the subject headings are going to be challenging, however it may be important to use these terms, i.e. “homosexual”, “transvestite”, which were concurrent at the time to find historically contemporaneous research.