by Meredith J. Batt
Atlantic Canadian port cities have a few of the most vibrant and vibrant queer areas and tales. Saint John, New Brunswick isn’t any exception. In 2020, the primary summer time of the pandemic, I celebrated my 25th birthday in Saint John by attending a drag present hosted by Justin TooDeep (portrayed by Alex Saunders) and Saint John’s jewel of the ocean, Dia Monde (portrayed by Shawn Craft). It was a distanced drag present, however after months of solely taking part in queer life by Zoom calls, I felt weepy being in an area of a lot pleasure, queer group, and pleasure. 5 years later, I’m now fortunate to name Saint John my second residence as I break up my time between Fredericton and the nice port metropolis the place my accomplice lives.
Saint John has a vibrant modern queer scene. Saint John Delight has hosted lots of the metropolis’s 2sLGBTQ+ summer time delight occasions for over twenty years. Chroma NB, which fashioned in 2020, gives every thing from youth lunch golf equipment to climbing journeys for queer and trans individuals of all ages. However the metropolis has lengthy remained ignored by historians interested by queer life and tradition. Significantly unknown, and susceptible to being forgotten by youthful generations, is the work of the activists who fashioned the Lesbian and Homosexual Group – Saint John (LAGO-SJ). Lively from 1983 to 1985, their month-to-month publication The Lighthouse gives useful perception to early LGB activism.
In New Brunswick, formal lesbian and homosexual organizations didn’t begin earlier than 1974 when the Homosexual Pals of Fredericton was fashioned by a small group of homosexual males. Earlier than this, queer networks had taken the form of personal home events, however these later many years proved to be a turning level as teams of males would start assembly in bars and Chinese language eating places. Typically they might additionally meet in plain sight in places just like the Admiral Beatty Lodge and the Delta Lodge in Saint John, in addition to the River Room on the Lord Beaverbrook Lodge in Fredericton.1 A sequence of images held on the ArQuives have been taken round Halloween 1966 and the winter of 1967 of younger males in drag on the Admiral Beatty Lodge and the Royal Tavern on Germain Avenue. These images provide a window into queer life and drag tradition in Saint John effectively earlier than our fashionable drag balls and exhibits.2
In 1979, Homosexual Pals of Fredericton advanced into Fredericton Lesbians and Gays (FLAG), however Saint John didn’t but have its personal group. Many Saint Johners would attend the dances in Fredericton or in Moncton after Gays and Lesbians of Moncton (GLM) fashioned in 1982. As effectively, two lesbians, who’ve solely been known as “Carol and Stella” in any historic accounts of this era held dances of their Saint John residence.3 They supplied one of many solely personal locations for the group earlier than Might 1985 when the straight-owned, however gay-friendly, bar Jay Jay’s opened at Hilyard Place.
Saint John’s first formal group, LAGO-SJ, was fashioned in April 1983 by then-18-year previous John Markidis, James Duplessis, and a small group of volunteers.4 LAGO-SJ was described as a “self-supporting, non-profit group for the pursuits and wellbeing of the Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Gaymen of Saint John, N.B.”5 Previous to the institution of LAGO-SJ, homosexual males in Saint John would seek for companionship by cruising – searching for out a accomplice for informal intercourse. Like Markidis, the queer Canadian author R.M. Vaughan, who spent his formative years and undergrad days within the metropolis, spoke of the cruising space across the previous Free Saint John Public Library or the Carnegie Constructing (now the Saint John Arts Centre). This space throughout from the YMCA generally known as “The Block” could possibly be frequented by homosexual males at any time. Vaughan described it as “unintentional cruising” as a result of there was no coding, as an alternative automobiles with events would decelerate and park. One other spot frequented by cruisers was Rockwood Park the place the various lakes and secluded areas offered males a spot to spend time collectively away from the prying eyes of the extra public straight seaside.6
Whereas these seeking to discover romantic or sexual connection discovered locations across the metropolis to satisfy, group organizers at LAGO-SJ established a month-to-month publication, The Lighthouse, to share helps and knowledge inside the group. The primary situation in November was a one-paged, typewritten sheet that introduced the board for 1983. It famous the social occasions for December, however the publication was unnamed till April 1984 when the emblem, that includes a lighthouse encircled by a downward triangle, appeared atop the problem. Thus, The Lighthouse was born. Simply as beacons of sunshine shield sailors from crashing into the rocky shoreline, this lighthouse was a refuge and a connection level within the Port Metropolis for lesbian and homosexual readers. They supplied essential proof of lesbian and homosexual life within the metropolis in addition to the challenges early activists confronted when making an attempt to start out a corporation throughout a time when the AIDS Disaster was simply starting and the conservative, working class metropolis of Saint John was going by a renaissance with revitalization of Uptown.
The Lighthouse was in circulation from November 1983 (eight months after the group started) till its remaining situation three years later in November 1985. Sadly, some points haven’t survived or have but to be donated to archives; nevertheless, there are 19 recognized points nonetheless in existence which lined information regarding the group, marketed meet ups and dances, and embody data on assist traces and different avenues of assist essential to lesbian and homosexual life within the Eighties. For the primary 12 months, the publication was obtainable to “adherents” of LAGO-SJ freed from cost, however there was a $5.00 membership.7 A 12 months later, the problem of November 1984, LAGO SJ boasted a membership of 46 individuals.
The Lighthouse was maintained by a small group, however the primary contributor was James Duplessis. A hairdresser by commerce, he typically wrote completely different articles beneath pseudonyms like “Rona Rubine” that includes articles on homosexual information from throughout North America. He additionally maintained the library, which made obtainable brochures and public well being data on AIDS in addition to titles reminiscent of Sudden Demise by lesbian author Rita Mae Brown and seminal queer movie research e-book The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo.8 Below Duplessis’ steering, points listed the contact data for lesbian, homosexual and bi-sexual assist teams in each Atlantic Canada and Maine. It notified members of dances held on the Union Corridor on Tower Avenue (West Saint John) and the place the Mr. Homosexual New Brunswick contest was held in each September of 1984 and ’85 with the classes of formal put on, informal put on, and swimsuit. A free coiffure and $100 was awarded for the highest prize.
The LAGO-SJ workplace was established on the threerd flooring of 80 Prince William Avenue; as a result of constructing being bought in November 1984, they relocated to 14 Horsfield road. It was out of this location {that a} gayline was established in the previous couple of months of the group. The members printed just one report relating to the calls to the road, stating that on common there have been 1,100 calls with solely round 34 being severe inquiries. The bulk have been prank calls.
All through its quick circulation, the editors of The Lighthouse have been frank about inaction amongst their readers in each attending LAGO-SJ occasions and in addition in contributing items to the publication. The editor within the July 1984 situation wrote: “If you happen to don’t vote, you may’t bitch.” Typically, editors relied on contributions from different Atlantic areas to spherical out the problems and share information of occasions. Atlantic Canadian homosexual rights activist, Robin Metcalfe, who spent a part of his youth in Saint John, was a frequent contributor. Markidis’ interview with historian Tom Warner gives varied causes apart from lack of group assist earlier than the group’s closure in November 1985. Markidis was actually concerned for the primary 12 months, however then began seeing somebody in Fredericton and primarily attended the LAGO-SJ dances. They began to again away when there was infighting and disagreement from the members about if they need to be purely social or even be extra energetic politically. By 1986, a lot of the organizers have been out of college or college and had resigned the small, considerably disengaged LGB group in Saint John to what it was. Markidis states that inside a three-month interval, round ten organizers concerned with LAGO-SJ moved on to greater queer pastures reminiscent of Toronto or Halifax.
Though The Lighthouse gives many insights into homosexual life and advocacy within the late-twentieth century, like many queer organizations from Atlantic Canada, the voices of homosexual males are on the forefront in each the data and historiography. Although an evaluation of the problems present lesbian participation within the type of girls’s dances and ladies who’re listed as a part of the manager, lesbians have been rare contributors to The Lighthouse. Thus far, there are few data from the time interval or oral histories that spotlight the involvement of queer girls in in-depth group organizing. Hopefully by persevering with oral historical past tasks, these gaps in information can be addressed.
Although LAGO-SJ could have ceased to be an energetic group, advocacy work for the LGB group continued. Many Saint John activists labored all through the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties confronting completely different challenges reminiscent of advocating for provincial human rights laws for sexual orientation and the primary ordained same-sex marriage between James Crooks and Carl Trickey at Queen’s Sq. Centenary United Church in 1996. By 2003, Port Metropolis Rainbow Delight fashioned and established the primary delight week in Saint John following remarks made within the Home of Commons by Conservative MP for Saint John-Rothsay, Elise Wayne. Concerning the struggle for marriage equality, Wayne acknowledged that homosexual and lesbians ought to “go dwell collectively and shut up about it.”9 Wayne’s outburst stoked a lot anger and assist from the queer group in Saint John. The primary parade was held on 26 July 2003, ushering a brand new period of political anti-queer rhetoric that we’re nonetheless seeing at present.
Exploring copies of previous activist newsletters gives an essential window into previous lesbian and homosexual activist challenges and successes, particularly when there are few extra sources on LAGO-SJ’s existence or wider public information. Within the period earlier than Instagram tales, Fb occasions, or Discord, these organizational newsletters offered group members with protected locations to be themselves, share assets, and discover assist. Initiatives just like the helpline ensured individuals may search assist and know they weren’t alone and procure sexual well being data The Lighthouse exhibits what could be executed to struggle in opposition to the anti-queer and anti-trans violence that’s at the moment on the rise. Such examples of group collaboration are wanted on this time the place a number of provincial governments are attempting to move anti-trans payments.
Meredith J. Batt is an archivist on the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in addition to a co-founder and Queer Historical past Analysis Archivist Advisor for the Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick (QHINB). They’ve been accepted to the MA Archives and Information Administration Programme at College Faculty Dublin for September 2025. They’re at the moment engaged on their second e-book exploring the 2SLGBTQ+ Historical past of New Brunswick.
Additional Studying:
The Essential Pondering Consortium, Historical past Documentaries on Queer and Trans+ Historical past: https://tc2.ca/assets/history-docs/queertrans-plus-history
Batt, Meredith J. Turning again the clock 40 years on 2SLGBTQ+ violence, Coop Media NB, Feb 25, 2025.
Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick, Queer Histories Matter: Queering Social Research in New Brunswick
Batt, Meredith, “We’re bringing picnic baskets, not water beds”: The fortieth Anniversary of the Homosexual Picnic in Moncton, New Brunswick. Lively Historical past. August 5, 2021.
Mackenzie, Kylie. The Wrestle for Equality Exhibit at UNBSJ The Barren, 2022.
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