Keeping our memories alive!
Tracing lesbian history in Montréal
An exhibition by the Archives lesbiennes du Québec (Quebec Lesbian Archives), developed with the support of the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises
In 1983, four friends created Archives Traces, Montréal’s first lesbian archives. The initiative was part of an international effort to build a collective memory for lesbians, a memory for us. The archives had several homes: Gilford School, private apartments, Montréal’s LGBT+ Community Centre and, finally, Cité-des-Hospitalières. Today, 42 years later, the Archives lesbiennes du Québec invite you to explore their collections and discover the rich, dynamic history of a Montréal lesbian community.
Our exhibition starts with the city’s golden age of lesbianism in the 1980s, which lasted until the mid-1990s. The francophone and rather bohemian Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood was fertile ground for our lesbian activism. At the dawn of the new millennium, other activist and community perspectives emerged, at the intersection of the queer movement and the rise of the gay Village. Our history continued to evolve. New political struggles and ground-breaking university programs heightened awareness around our lesbian realities.
At a time when part of the world is threatening our right to exist, we are thrilled and proud to share our treasures with you!
Archives lesbiennes du Québec
Acquire, process, preserve and disseminate any information, on any medium whatsoever relating to lesbianism, lesbians, gay and queer identified women and homosexuality in general. Emphasis is placed on Quebec documents and those relating to Quebec and other documents from the Francophone community at large.
Visit Quebec Lesbian Archives