GaeGala

GAE & GALA

Gay Alliance for Equality & Gay And Lesbian Alliance

This page documents the history of Halifax's Gay and Lesbian Association, later renamed the Gay And Lesbian Association.

GAE owned and operated The Turret and later Rumours, which meant that there was always substantial amounts of cash for projects. GAE funded the GAEZETTE newspaper in its early years.

GAE/Turret/Rumours also funded the first 20 or so years of the GayLine.

June 4, 1972
Founded, says the November 1972 Newsletter, signed by AnneFulton
1972
NilsClausson says "One of the first things we did was set up the GayLine"
March 1, 1973 (ca)
Vol. 1 # 1: March 1973 Newsletter Contents: GayLine, a rant about people not attending the bars, "Candlelight" and "DAs." "The Brief" column details NilsClaussen? & the GAE Legal Reform Committee's Human Rights brief for the N.S. Legislature, a March 7, 1973 meeting with the Health and Human Welfare Committee, and a request for examples of discrimination to be brought to the attention of DavidGray or Nils. Recipe: Peppermint Ice Cream. Meetings at the UniversalistUnitarianChurch, bitchy comments about TheeKlub. Address for GAE is the GreenLantern Building. Editorial: coming out and pride.
April, 1973
Vol. 1 # 2: April 1973 Newsletter contents: Article about GAE's interaction with the N.S. Human Rights Commission by NilsClausson, Chairman, Legal Reform Committee; Editorial by John L. Article on male and females working together by (almost certainly) AnneFulton; Events: presentation to a St Mary's University class, participation in a VG Hospital outpatient staff meeting, presentation to a sociology seminar at Dalhousie; three people trained for the GayLine; meetings at the UniversalistUnitarianChurch;
May 25, 1973
The Memorandum of Association and first set of Bylaws are filed with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies (this is the date on the cover letter.)
Founding board: DonnaBurns? (Baker), TommyBurns (Laundry Worker), CarolButler (Housewife), StephenCalnen (Office Manager), NilsClausson (Student), JimDeYoung (Road Supervisor), JoyceGehue? (Student), AnneFulton (Teacher), DavidGray (Businessman - Self-employed), SandraHenley? (Cook), AnnMacMullin (Cook), TheresaRowe? (Assistant Manager), EdSlade (Accounting Clerk), and DianeWarren (Teacher). TommyMiller (Cook) applied and MichelRobichaud? witnessed.
Address is Suite 207, GreenLantern Building.
Also includes November 1, 1973 to July 27, 1974 "balance sheet" prepared by BobStout, signed by chairman ClemCormier?.1
1974
Group ceases operations
1975
October: re-established and beginning to raising funds towards a hoped-for community centre.
1976
Chair AnneFulton, Secretary RobinMetcalfe, Treasurer DavidSeale2
1977
AGM October 26, 1977: Chair: RobinMetcalfe, 1st Executive position: AnneVersailles? 2nd Executive position: DeneRoach. Turret Management committee, male: DeneRoach; Gayline Director: MikeMacDonald [that would be Father Mike] The other positions were undoubtedly filled by acclamation. DebTrask became Secretary this way, at this meeting.3
1978
AGM October 18, 1978: chair: ClydeRichardson, Treasurer: JohnMarr, Exec Male: JimMacSwain, Exec Female: CathyHarvison, Sec'y not reported in minutes, probably DebTrask.
1979
AGM November 17, 1979: Chair: ClydeRichardson, Treasurer: JohnMarr, Secretary: DebTrask
1981
DebTrask writes: In August, 1981 something happened, and much of the executive resigned. Think it had to do with stacking meetings. I took over from EdThibodeau? as Chair, KathyMacNeil took over from JohnHurlbert as Secretary, and RandyKennedy took over from BarryHeath - don't know what position. AGM October 21, 1981: Chair: DebTrask, Secretary: KatherineMacNeil, Treasurer: PaulHanson?, Executive Male: DonCormier?, Executive Female: Anne Versailles. A planning note for a GamesOfAtlanticCanada event indicates that 200 programmes were printed for the "GAE Mailout." Minutes of another meeting state a meeting in the "GAE Community Centre, Suite 200, Tartan Building."
September 16, 1981
we have request to the Speaker's Bureau, and JimDeYoung's report after, in the RainbowSeniorsArchive -- see SpeakersBureau.
1983
American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist Holly Near brought to Halifax by GAE, RedHerringBookstore, the Dalhousie Disarmament society, the Latin America Information Group, the Voice of Women, and the Women's Housing Cooperative.4
1985 - 1988
ScottMacNeil compiled a list of executive 1985-1988 mentioning ArthurSniders, JJLyon, GregHomer?, BarbSawatsky, FredRowe, NathanElling, ConnieClark?, TroyLangille?, GailWatterson?, BernadineGagnon?, MarilynLamb?, BarendKamperman, MikeSangster, DarleneLevy?, and DougLaPierre?.5
1985
In the spring we purchased a house on Macara Street for a Community Center, and coyly named it RadclyffeHall. It housed the library, and the two half time employees, and the GayLine.
March Newsletter edited by PatriciaMartinson. It lists ArthurSnyders? as chair of GAE and has details for a benefit for defence contract protestors by DarlWood, JimMcSwain & GlennWalton, dance by CliffLeJeune, a skit by LynnMurphy and songs by defendant AndreaCurrie with BrendaBryan as emcee.
1987
Rumours moves from Granville to a large building that we owned - a testament to the fact that GAE is one of the wealthiest gay community organizations in North America, due to the fact that it runs the local bar, a business with revenues of about half a million dollars a year. Radclyffe Hall was sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase of the new building, which had space for community events and meetings.
GAE Membership card belonging to TerryParker
December 2, 1987
GAE has a "Rename The Bar" competition, coordinated by JimDeYoung. The front page of the report is on line here.
1988
April 6, 1988: special meeting to rename GAE to the Gay And Lesbian Association of Nova Scotia (GALA NS)
September 7, 1988
Motion requesting resignation of GAE executive over ScottMacNeil's firing
1989
AGM, March 15, 1989: President: RobertByers; VP: WilsonHodder; Treasurer: MikeSangster; Secretary: GailWatterson?; Female w/o Portfolio: DarleneLevy?; Male w/o Portfolio: DougLapierre?
1990
Program Coordinator: ChrisAucoin
1992-1994
President: ChrisAucoin
1993
President: ChrisAucoin; Vice President & Chair of Management Board: GaryHanrahan; Secretary & Chair of Membership Committee: RonMcIntyre; Chair of Finance: DougDixon; Chair of Women's Issues: KathCure?.6
1994-1995
GALA eventually wound down and died with a bit of a bang during the ShirtlessnessDebate, and defaulted on its society registration on November 30, 1995. At the time the Registry of Joint Stock Companies listed president JaneVanKansas, vice president PamLeeming, chair of finance MarilynLamb?, secretary RonMcIntyre, and director at large GaryWoodroffe. 7 pic
February 15, 1995
Article in the Mail-Star announcing the bankruptcy with quotes from JaneKansas and LynnMurphy.

GeorgeMunroe writes: I was involved at the beginning of GAE. We used to meet in the old club in the GreenLantern Building which was run by DavidGray. We set up EqualityScholarshipFund for gay men and the first recipient was DonnieStevens. These were heady days and we thought anything was possible.


picTheMeatRack / Lord Nelson Hotel ca 1940 NilsClausson writes: The Cameo or Candlelight Lounge was frequented by gays and lesbians, but the GAE crowd hung out in the coffee shop of the Lord Nelson Hotel beside the Public Gardens. We often went there after meetings.


Other Sources

This page is part of the HistoryProject.

Footnotes:

1. Incorporation document obtained from the RJSC
4. April 17, 2017 TurretMemories posting by SueBurns?, includes poster of the concert
6. March 17, 1993 AGM Minutes
7. RJSC info on file for GAE