For Halifax Pride I will be conducting a virtual tour of sorts of some significant spots in Halifax LGBTQ2S+ history. Today is Forrest House.
🖤💜💙💚💛🧡❤️
Forrest House was a YWCA-owned Victorian building at 1225 Barrington Street that was turned into a women’s centre in 1977.
Known as “A Women’s Place” it housed various women’s groups & women only workshops on feminism, assertiveness, sexuality, self-defence, rape counselling, women in politics, math, cars & more.
Many lesbians and bisexual women were involved, though they didn’t always feel welcome.
“The new role or fourth dimension portrays woman as a person herself using her abilities in changing the world in contrast to the three dimensional role of woman as wife, mother & housewife, an essentially passive & dependent role in a timeless world.”
– undated A Women’s Place Leaflet
Adapted from a Facebook post by Rebecca Rose, author of the excellent Before the Parade, A History of Halifax’s Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Communities, 1972-1984.
Recovering Local LGBTQIA2S+ Histories, a public event with Rebecca Rose, scheduled for Saturday July 25. Check out the Facebook event here. Register via eventbrite.
With a special thanks to our generous donors who make publication of the Nova Scotia Advocate possible.
Subscribe to the Nova Scotia Advocate weekly digest and never miss an article again. It’s free!
