Many are familiar with the Stonewall Uprising as a precedent for LGBTQ+ activism in North America, particularly on university campuses. But what about queer activism on our own campus? Gay McGill, now known as Queer McGill, was established in 1972 to create public queer spaces — like parties and seminars — in partnership with The McGill Daily and SSMU. While the dances were ultimately shut down, other services for the queer community opened up like Gay Line in 1976, an anonymous, volunteer-staffed phone helpline for questions pertaining to queer issues. In 2008, Gay Line evolved into what we know today as the Canadian Association for Education and Outreach (CAEO) Québec and the “testimonials-based LGBTQ+ safer spaces workshop,” Sexual Information Leads to Knowledge (SILK).
The Daily spoke with Kimberly Wong, current director general of SILK, and Gregg Blachford, former president of Gay Line (1993-1996) and director of McGill’s Career and Placement Service (CaPS), about CAEO Québec and the SILK program. We discussed queer education and services for English-speaking schools, volunteering and outreach, allyship, and counteracting shame with queer joy.
This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
Justin Friedberg and Mara Gibea for The McGill Daily (MD): What facilitated the expansion of Gay Line to CAEO Québec and SILK? How did the shifting media landscape’s impacts on the dissemination of information from the ’90s to the 2000s affect Gay Line’s mandate?
Kimberly Wong (KW): Gay Line served an important role from the ’70s to the 2000s; however, there are plenty of resources on the internet now and not many people who love to talk on the phone anymore.
Gregg Blachford (GB): There weren’t many comparable organizations that existed at the time. The original goal of what they were doing, giving information to a lot of people, has changed. Over the decades, many organizations have sprung up to deal with the police, health, and AIDS. The phone line in Montreal was no longer unique […] eventually phones stopped ringing.
KW: The organization transitioned to new opportunities: […] workshops to talk about queerness and sexuality, [and] collaborating with Queer McGill to get volunteers.
MD: The theme of CAEO Quebec’s 50th anniversary celebration is titled “Queer Joy.” What does queer joy mean to you?
GB: Queer joy is about pride, excitement, and fun. It’s about lifting the shame and engaging more with the joy of being gay.
MD: How did shame manifest socially and politically in Montreal’s queer community during Gay Line’s operation?
GB: Near the beginning of Gay Line, in the ’90s, Montreal’s queer life was full of difficult conditions: unsolved murders which the police weren’t taking seriously, raids on saunas and bars, and an AIDs crisis hanging over people’s heads.
MD: In 1993 you, Gregg, delivered a testimony to the Quebec Human Rights Commission on the inquiry into “Violence and Discrimination against Gays and Lesbians in Quebec.” Have any of the issues in your testimony been addressed? What has remained consistent or shifted in terms of the needs of queer communities in Montreal?
GB: Quebec, to its credit, gave the opportunity for the queer community to talk about what was happening and what they think should be happening [with the referendum regarding police violence against queer peoples and spaces]. What’s it like today? On one level, it’s much better: laws have changed, and there are no more police raids — they’ve apologized for the raids in the 70s/80s. What is consistent is the shame that hangs over people’s heads, despite the turn towards positivity in the queer community. Still, the expectation of having to come out and have some reconciliation with your mind is still there.
MD: How has the CAEO Québec facilitated this reconciliation?
KW: Reconciliation is about facilitating that education — making people more comfortable and making spaces to work towards educating different kinds of populations and adapting to the changes they need on the front lines.
MD: One way that CAEO Québec is creating these spaces is through the SILK program, of which you, Kimberly, are a director. Could you tell us a bit about that?
KW: The SILK program provides workshops that are testimonial-based. Queer volunteers go into schools and share about themselves. One of the main ways to connect to students is through storytelling: everyone loves stories, whether you’re young or old.
The program is about getting students to think about other perspectives that they haven’t thought about before. People may not realize their values have come from parents or religion, and some haven’t been exposed to the queer community. As a result, we strive for a safe learning environment where people can ask their questions, even if they’re uncomfortable or antagonizing. It’s a cool way to be able to enact social change through education and young people: if we can plant these seeds at a young age, they can carry that forward for the rest of their lives.
MD: Considering the organization is a non-profit, how vital is volunteering?
KW: CAEO Québec and the SILK program are all volunteer-run, which is very rare. Because we don’t have a specific funding body, there are positives and negatives. We don’t receive money (i.e. grants), but we’re also not beholden to a governing body’s priorities.
GB: The program is inter-generational too! We recently had a party at my house with past volunteers. Volunteering meant so much to them: it teaches active listening, which they’ve used in other areas of their life, making change. “New gay” volunteers get something out of it too… it’s a two-way street. Often students come who are exploring their own gender, sexuality, and identity.
KW: Something nice about the program is that the CAEO Québec takes time to train people and make them more comfortable. It can be a one-time thing, low stakes. Many volunteers feel a lot of satisfaction after speaking to students. We poll anonymous feedback about the workshop, and 95 per cent of it is positive. It is so rewarding to see that, as the workshops are something we would’ve wanted when we were in high school. They can be life- saving in some contexts. The whole thing feels very special, making space for volunteers, community — magic comes from it.
MD: That’s how both of you met working for Gay Line. Would you say these relationships foster lifelong contacts?
KW: Many people become long-time friends. You have Gregg, who volunteered from 1984 to 2007 — truly intergenerational. The program includes very passionate people who want to provide community support, using the privilege they have in their lives. It’s free; it’s volunteering.
MD: Considering Gay Line’s historic ties to McGill, how can students and allies get involved?
GB: The dances run by Gay McGill in the SSMU building were not just for McGill students, but for the whole community. People talked about how vibrant it was and how it made them feel. I was involved with admin to move the university towards better relationships with queer community, including starting the annual return of the Rainbow Reception.
KW: For volunteering, something notable about our organization is that we accept allies in our volunteer pool.
GB: Allies were important then, and allies are important now too.
KW: For SILK in particular, allies can demonstrate why community [exposure is important for] students who may not be able to relate to having close ties to the community.
MD: Would you like to share any parting wisdom after 50 years?
GB: The reason it’s lasted 50 years is because of Kimberly. She held it together when it could’ve fallen apart, which shows how individuals can keep things going. Being so upbeat, positive, and cheerful really helps.
KW: We don’t expect people to come in with perfect skills. Because we work with a marginalized group of people, there has to be more understanding and flexibility. The organization is as strong as the volunteers that make it up. We want the space to be an encouraging sandbox for people to learn, grow, and gain new skills.
CAEO Québec is currently hiring volunteers and SILK workshop facilitators. The next training will take place on November 7, 8, and 14 from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM in downtown Montreal. Students can follow @caeo.quebec on Instagram for more information.