Rainbow Story Hub
Michael Phair – Found In, Advocate, Politician, Community Leader – PART ONE

In Part One Michael Phair talks about moving to Calgary from Loyal, Wisconsin – a small town of less than 1200 people… even today. After a brief time in Calgary he moved to Edmonton and shot to local notoriety on May 30, 1981 when he was arrested as a “found in a bawdy-house” during the police raid of the Pisces Bathhouse.

This event propelled him to the role of advocate and activist for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community…. something that even 40+ years later he still stands as a leader in the community.

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Liz Massiah – Edmonton’s Lesbian Community Leader Extraordinaire

Most foundational LGBTQ+ organizations in our city were influenced by Liz Massiah, Edmonton’s lesbian community leader extraordinaire. From GALA to Womonspace, the AIDS Network of Edmonton, and the Liaison Committee, Liz was there for it all. Her steady head has worn many hats as a community leader, civil rights activist, social worker, and psychologist. Liz was an out lesbian when she moved to Alberta from Ontario in 1983 after graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University with her MSW. Like many lesbians of her time, she married a man before coming out later in life. Years earlier, she and her husband…

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  • Ron ByersRon Byers
  • September 4, 2021
  • 0 Comments
  • 7 minutes Read
When Drag Queens Became Charitable

Drag queens have been a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Edmonton for many years. The first recorded public appearance of drag queens performing in our City is believed to be at the Pierre Cochard owned Pegasus Club in 1971. The club was located at 10103 – 106 Street and just west of the Pig N Whistle restaurant, a favorite haunt for those who dared to go out in public in drag. Soon after, the first gay bar in Edmonton, Club 70, opened its doors and drag shows became a regular activity at the private club. A few years…

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