USask Library and Archival Resources: Sexual and Gender Diversity

These are the archival collections in the University Archives and Special Collections that pertain to sexual and gender diversity and society/culture. Materials listed here include, but are not limited to, information about clubs, organizations, conferences, events, and other cultural materials.

Here is a brief overview of those collections, with links to their entries in our database.

Avenue Community Centre fonds - MG 535

The Avenue Community Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity was originally incorporated in 1991 as Gay & Lesbian Health Services, a non-profit agency in Saskatoon working to address health and social issues in the LGBT2Q community. In 2015 its name changed again to OUTSaskatoon.

Charles Dobie fonds - MG 439

Charles Dobie worked as a photographer for the underground alternative newspaper, Guerilla, and was one of the founders of the Body Politic. This fonds consists of images taken by Charles Dobie at the Fifth National Gay Conference, "Towards a Gay Community," held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan from June 29 to July 3, 1977.

Don Cochrane fonds - MG 337

Don Cochrane was a chief organizer and founder of the Breaking the Silence Conference, which ran from 1998 to 2017, and explored LGBTQ issues in education.

Doug Wilson fonds - MG 653

Doug Wilson was a University of Saskatchewan Alumni who was suspended as a supervisor of practice teaching in public schools, on the grounds of his open admission of his homosexuality and his public involvement in the gay liberation movement. Wilson placed a formal complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, however the inquiry was never held, as the Court of Queen's Bench ruled that sexuality was not covered by The Fair Employment Practices Act.

Evelyn Rogers and Lilja Stefansson fonds - MG 641

This collection contains material relating to the life of Lilja Stefansson, mainly her life with Evelyn Rogers. It contains a lot of writing by Lilja as well as Evelyn which documents their lives, as well as clippings, correspondence and other documents.

Gens Hellquist fonds - MG 549

Gens Hellquist was a gay rights activist and played a prominent role in the formation of a cohesive LGBT community in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan. Along with health and gay rights materials this fonds contains an extensive pornography collection ranging from magazines to videos to other types of pornographic materials.

Neil Richards fonds - MG 355

Born and educated in Ontario, but based in Saskatchewan since 1971, Neil Richards was an active participant in local, provincial and national gay organizations since the early 1970s. He produced many exhibitions and public events concerning AIDS and gay history and life. As an employee and throughout retirement he cultivated the University Archives and Special Collections LGBTQ holdings, and is responsible for acquiring many of the collections described on this guide.

USSU LGBTA Centre - MG 357

Funded by the Students’ Union but maintained and operated by volunteers, the Centre was created to provide information, support, and advocacy around sexual and gender diversity issues for all students at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2007, the Centre’s name was changed to the USSU Pride Centre.