Beginning in Spring 2022, Dr. Alex Ketchum and her research assistants Eléa Regembal, Laine McCrory, Jesssana Akehurst, and Talia Pirsch began the Montreal Lesbian and Queer Women's Oral History Project. In the first round, they conducted 18 oral interviews of queer and lesbian women who have been involved in their communities, from the 1970s to today. These interviews are testimoniales of establishments and social events which created the cultural wealth of queer and lesbian Montreal communities.
After a year of work Dr. Ketchum and her team, transferred the compilation of interviews to the Archives lesbiennes du Québec and the Archives gaies du Québec.
From 2023-2024, Lifan Cheng, Alex Strong-Saad, Raymond Johnson Brown, and Haley Clarke-Cousineau joined the research team. In July 2024, we deposited an additional 7 interviews and in fall 2024 we deposited an additional 3 interviews. There are 28 total. The new interviews included non-binary and Two Spirit interviewees, as well.
The interviews are in English and French. There is a transcript for every interview.
At the AGQ, most of the interviews, as well as their transcripts, are available for consultation under the archival fonds AGQ-F0213, Montreal Lesbian and Queer Women’s Oral History Project. You can also access the interviews at the ALQ.
Within these interviews you can learn more about Montréal’s lesbian and queer women’s bars, restaurants, bookstores, event productions, and related businesses and organizations.
Thank you to the Réseau québécois en études féministes (RéQEF) for your financial support of this project.
There are interviews with:
Sandrine Bourget-Lapointe
Nicolas· Longtin-Martel
Julie Podmore
Zoe Cousineau
Dayna McLeod
France Désilets
Miriam Ginestier
Florence Gagnon
Johanne Cadorette
Laure Neuville
Richère Trudeau
Dominique Monchamp
Nathalie Di Palma
Suzanne Girard
Elana Wright
Barbara Scales
Lucie Duguay
Paryse Taillefer
Claudine Metcalfe
Marlyne Desir
Sarah Fobes
Charlie Boudreau
Lenore Herrem
Carmen Colas
Avery Burrow
Saz Zenetzis
Dani Sherwood
Jo-Marie Einish