Resisting Anti-Queer and Anti-Trans Hate: Lessons from 1970s Toronto with Dr. Tom Hooper

The CHRR is pleased to support the 2SLGBTQ+ Histories Series at the University of Manitoba. Please join us on Friday, October 11, 2024 at 2:30pm for a lecture with Dr. Tom Hooper, Department of Equity Studies, York University who will be speaking on “Resisting Anti-Queer and Anti-Trans Hate: Lessons from 1970s Toronto”

In January 1978 anti-Queer and anti-Trans activist Anita Bryant brought her “Save Our Children” campaign to Toronto. The previous year Bryant had organized against a Miami-Dade, Florida ordinance that protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Bryant’s central argument was that this ordinance protected Queer and Trans people from discrimination in employment, including teachers and others who worked with children. The campaign to define Queer and Trans people as a threat to children worked, the Miami-Dade ordinance was repealed. Bryant was emboldened and embarked on a cross-continent campaign that also included a brief time Canada. Queer and Trans communities resisted these campaigns with various tactics. In this presentation I argue that studying our communities’ resistance to Anita Bryant could be useful as our communities rally to resist anti-Queer and anti-Trans hate today.

Watch a recording of the lecture here.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

This event is presented by the 2SLGBTQ+ Histories Series.We are thankful to the following units at the University of Manitoba for their support of Dr. Hooper’s lecture:

• Office of the Vice-Provost (Equity)
• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Graduate Studies
• Department of English, Film, Theatre, and Media
• Department of History
• Women’s and Gender Studies Program
• Institute for the Humanities
• The Centre for Human Rights Research
• UM Queer