Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives (CLGA) 4.46

The CLGA was founded in 1973 as part of The Body Politic, Canada's gay liberation newsmagazine of record during the 1970s and 80s. A hidden gem in Toronto, it has grown from just a few boxes of material to become the second largest LGBT archive in the world. Within our archives are the stories that illuminate contemporary queer life.

Since its creation, the CLGA has been there at the pivotal moments of the Canadian queer movement, curating and maintaining collections on life in Canada -- in addition to abroad as well. We capture the pulse of the community with material on the relevant people, organizations, issues, and events that have shaped queer culture. (Our collecting is guided by a stated mandate, the full text of which is available here online.)

We secure this material by arranging, recording, and storing it. We strongly believe in the importance of this process, because history is important, equipping and preparing us for strides of progress in the future.

The CLGA is driven by the passion of a group of volunteers working in Toronto determined to preserve queer history in Canada and beyond. With our 40th anniversary approaching, we're organized to continue this work -- the preservation of history -- long into the future. (We're always excited for people wanting to help us: let us know if you want to volunteer!)

It is our mandate to make this information available to the public for education and research. Over the years we have helped hundreds of people -- students, artists, journalists, lawyers, filmmakers -- working on various projects.