Bi-National Lesbian Conference
Encyclopedia
The first annual Bi-National Lesbian Conference happened in Toronto in May 1979.
(LOOT) in cooperation with members of the Toronto International Women’s Day Organizing Committee. The organizers began planning in November 1978, sent out written questionnaires to lesbians all over the country to determine the content of the event, and also managed to raise $14,000 in conference costs through fundraisers, raffles and other community initiatives.
The organizing collective stated in their conference program that it was their hope that:
, the United States
and other countries. Thirty-five workshop sessions were offered at Hart House, on the University of Toronto
Campus, on subjects ranging from bicycle repair to discussion-based sessions exploring topical issues in the lesbian movement of the time. All sessions were conducted in English
but simultaneous translation was offered for French Language
speakers.
Saturday evening featured a live concert with the Toronto band who went on to become the Parachute Club, Mama Quilla II
.
In her Lesbian History of the Lesbian Organization of Toronto, The House that Jill Built, Becki Ross quotes conference attendee Naomi Brooks about the ecitement the conference generated in the lesbian community at the time:
Subsequent Bi National Lesbian Conferences were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, Alberta and several other larger Canadian cities.
The 1981 (fifth) Conference in Vancouver has the distinction of launching Canada's first (lesbian pride) Dyke March
. In 1982, Toronto lesbian organization Lesbians Against the Right (which grew out of the now defunct Lesbian Organization of Toronto, organized a second Canadian Dyke March in Toronto, Ontario.
Organizing
The conference was organized by members of the Lesbian Organization of TorontoLesbian Organization of Toronto
The Lesbian Organization of Toronto was a multi-faceted lesbian organization founded in 1976 and disbanded in 1980. The group was Toronto's first openly lesbian feminist group, and its members elected to open Canada's first Lesbian Centre.-History:L.O.O.T. grew out of an October 1976 meeting...
(LOOT) in cooperation with members of the Toronto International Women’s Day Organizing Committee. The organizers began planning in November 1978, sent out written questionnaires to lesbians all over the country to determine the content of the event, and also managed to raise $14,000 in conference costs through fundraisers, raffles and other community initiatives.
The organizing collective stated in their conference program that it was their hope that:
The conference
The conference drew 400 registrants, from CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries. Thirty-five workshop sessions were offered at Hart House, on the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Campus, on subjects ranging from bicycle repair to discussion-based sessions exploring topical issues in the lesbian movement of the time. All sessions were conducted in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
but simultaneous translation was offered for French Language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
speakers.
Saturday evening featured a live concert with the Toronto band who went on to become the Parachute Club, Mama Quilla II
Mama Quilla II
The rock band Mama Quilla II first performed together in 1977 in Toronto, Ontario and dissolved in 1982.-Band members:Personnel changed over the band’s five year existence, but Mama Quilla II was usually a 7-piece all-female band...
.
In her Lesbian History of the Lesbian Organization of Toronto, The House that Jill Built, Becki Ross quotes conference attendee Naomi Brooks about the ecitement the conference generated in the lesbian community at the time:
After the conference
The conference spurred on the creation of a Canada-wide lesbian magazine, Lesbian/Lesbienne: the National Newspaper of the Lesbian Movement.Subsequent Bi National Lesbian Conferences were held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Montreal, Quebec, Calgary, Alberta and several other larger Canadian cities.
The 1981 (fifth) Conference in Vancouver has the distinction of launching Canada's first (lesbian pride) Dyke March
Dyke March
Dyke March is a mostly lesbian-led and inclusive gathering and protest march much like the original gay pride parades and marches. They usually occur the Friday or Saturday before LGBT pride parades and larger metropolitan areas have related events both before and after the event to further...
. In 1982, Toronto lesbian organization Lesbians Against the Right (which grew out of the now defunct Lesbian Organization of Toronto, organized a second Canadian Dyke March in Toronto, Ontario.