Queer issues will now form an official part of Canada’s historical discourse.
The Canadian Museum of History announced a formal collaboration with the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) to include queer history, issues and content in a signature Canadian exhibition set to open July 1, 2017. A formal memorandum of understanding was signed by Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Museum of Civilization) president Mark O’Neill and CLGA president Robert Windrum at CLGA’s office on Isabella on June 18 to coincide with the start of WorldPride.
Canada’s version of the iconic Smithsonian, located across the river from Parliament Hill, houses the most comprehensive collection of our historical documents and artifacts.
But as O’Neill points out, the Canada Hall exhibition, a central part of the museum, is outdated and in need of serious revision. It doesn’t cover many developments that have changed modern Canada, including gay rights, women’s issues, the debate over Quebec separation and the Charter Of Rights And Freedoms.
“Almost half a century of our history is missing,” says O’Neill.
Which is why the museum is reaching out to organizations across the country to ensure the new exhibit is more inclusive and Canada’s history told from multiple perspectives.
These will include the struggle for gay rights, equality issues, discrimination, human rights protection, the emergence of strong dyke and trans communities and the same-sex marriage debate, told in a collaborative and insightful manner.
Canadians are adamant that “we include voices not traditionally heard in the telling of our national story,” says O’Neill.
As the trusted guardian of Canada’s LGBTQ* history, Windrum points out that the CLGA is in a unique position to interpret the struggle of queer Canadians through its broad range of multimedia materials, including historical records, documents, publications, personal papers, memoirs, audio-visual media, posters, artwork and photographs.
The exhibition “will explore Canadian history through the experiences and perspectives of those who have lived it,” says O’Neill.
The museum’s curatorial staff are still deciding what stories the exhibition will tell and how all the pieces will fit together. The particulars have yet to be worked out.
“If you believe history museums should only be about dead white straight men,” says O’Neill, “you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
Mark Maloney is a local history writer and author of the soon-to-be released The History Of The Mayors Of Toronto.
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