Thunder Bay’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community has a long history in our city. While the community has grown larger and more active over the years, there have been many struggles in its past. In the 1950s, the Kakabeka Falls Fun Club was one of the first mentions of the gay community for those “in the know,” as this name was a code for gay men to know when and where to meet with others.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that the gay community became more open and visible within the city. With that greater visibility, more formal groups and organizations began. The first to open was the Northern Women’s Centre in 1973, founded by Gwen O’Reilly, providing advocacy and support for women in the community. This organization is still in operation today, located on North Cumberland Street. For men, such venues as the Mona Lisa Tavern, the Fountain Room at the Prince Arthur Hotel, and the Dominion Room at the Royal Edward Hotel became places for gay men to meet and socialize. Other clubs were created in the 1970s, including Lakehead Gay Liberation (headed by David Belrose) and The Backstreet Athletic Club, but both were short-lived and closed roughly a year after opening.
In 1980, the Gays of Thunder Bay club began and hosted regular socials and dances for the gay community, largely at the Ukrainian Labour Temple. The organization’s first president was David Belrose and the first secretary was Doug Broman. In 1986, Broman spearheaded the Thunder Gay Magazine TV show, created for and by the gay and lesbian community. The program was incredibly progressive for its time and discussed matters important to the community, such as the AIDS pandemic and safe sex. The show ran for six years, ending in 1991. That same year, the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbians at Lakehead University (BGLLU) formed, changing its name to Pride Central in 1995, which is still active today.
2011 saw the first Pride Festival held in Thunder Bay, now known as Thunder Pride. That year also saw Thunder Pride’s Walk of Healing during the first Pride Week in the city. The walk aimed to grieve the loss and celebrate the lives of those lost or harmed by homophobia and AIDS. David Belrose was the event chairman, and local author and elder Ma-Nee Chacaby opened the walk with a smudging ceremony. In 2013, the city’s first Pride Parade took place down Red River Road. Leading the parade was Ma-Nee Chacaby, whose memoir “A Two Spirit Journey’ just won Canada Reads this year. In her memoir, Chacaby discusses her life and experiences growing up in a remote Ojibwa community, as well as her role in our first Pride Parade
This year’s Pride Parade and Pride Fest will be held on Saturday, July 5, with the theme “All In For Love: Global Pride, Infinite Friendship”. In 2021, Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay was launched, providing more support and resources to 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples. The Library has always aimed to be an inclusive environment, and our shelves are full of great stories from people across the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Find lists of them on our website today! You can also read more about 2SLGBTQIA+ community members experiences by checking out "A Two-spirit Journey” by Ma-Nee Chacaby and “Answering A Different Call” by David Belrose.
If you’d like more information about any of these clubs, events, or anything else Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay District related, contact us at research@tbpl.ca
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