Rainbow Story Hub
A Brief Police History of Queer Edmonton

One of the most infamous early examples of persecution of the gay community occurred in 1942 with a series of same-sex trials in Edmonton. The trials were the result of a coordinated effort between the RCMP and Edmonton Police, who conducted a sting operation in response to a personal ad in the Edmonton Journal. Over the course of a few months, ten men were arrested, and nine were convicted for engaging in same-sex activity.

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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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