{"id":194,"date":"2019-05-02T16:27:18","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T16:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lgbtqhistoriesofviolence.com\/?p=194"},"modified":"2019-05-02T16:27:18","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T16:27:18","slug":"i-enjoy-being-an-activist-lesbian-protest-in-canadian-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lgbtq2shistoriesofviolence.buildingthearchives.ca\/index.php\/2019\/05\/02\/i-enjoy-being-an-activist-lesbian-protest-in-canadian-history\/","title":{"rendered":"I Enjoy Being An Activist: Lesbian Protest in Canadian History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“I have heard that I was courageous. In retrospect, and in the present, it has always been an issue of basic survival \u2013 physical, emotional and spiritual. Maintaining one\u2019s own integrity and a desire to positively influence the present societal circumstances in which I find myself and others.\u201d – Pat Murphy (Pat Murphy, Toronto, 2000)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Adrienne Potts (now Adrienne Rosen), Pat Murphy, Sue Wells and Heather (Beyer) Elizabeth, known as the “Brunswick Four.”
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The Four <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before 1969, same-sex sexual activities between consenting adults were considered crimes in Canada, punishable by imprisonment. In 1969, the Canadian government implemented the Criminal Law Amendment Act<\/em>. Same-sex relations have been lawful ever since. But passing a law does not ensure  the dissolution of stereotypes, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQ2+ people. Even police harassment remains a common occurrence, as police continue to view gays and lesbians as criminal. One of the more famous incidents of police harassment involves the \u201cBrunswick Four,\u201dnamed after the popular working-class beer hall in Toronto, the Brunswick House pub. On January 5th, 1974, four lesbians, Adrienne Potts, Pat Murphy, Sue Wells, and Heather Elizabeth, were enjoying a drink at the Brunswick tavern. A man came over to the table and poured a glass of beer on Potts\u2019 head. Challenging the homophobic harassment they faced, the women performed their rendition of \u201cI Enjoy Being a Girl\u201d as part of the bar\u2019s amateur night and changed the lyrics to \u201cI Enjoy Being a Dyke\u201d Though the man had been asked to leave by management, he returned to the Brunswick Four\u2019s table and continued to harass them. A dispute broke out and the women were asked by the manager to leave the premises, but when they refused to leave, the police were called and the four were arrested by eight uniformed police officers (Carrierer, \u201cThree Women Assaulted\u201d; Warner 40). Throughout the night the women encountered physical violence and harassing comments  and later reported being denied their right to call a lawyer upon their first arrest. After eventually being released without charges, they returned to the Brunswick House searching for witnesses. They again were asked to leave the premises, ultimately leading to a new arrest and hour-long questioning of Potts, Murphy and Elizabeth. They were charged with various offences and defended pro bono in court in March 1974 (Lorinc et. al).
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The community response to the police action and charges against the \u2018Brunswick Four\u2019 indicated a radical change in the consciousness of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, and a hardening resolve to fight back. (Waren 41) <\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Warner states that this incident can be viewed as a key incident for the gay and lesbian liberation movement in Canada which led to a new, more militant consciousness. But interestingly enough, we could only find a few documents at the Arquives <\/a>in Toronto and only Warner referred to this incident as “Canada\u2019s Stonewall.”
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A campaign poster in the aftermath of the event in 1974. Courtesy of the Arquives. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Media Coverage
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News articles published on the Brunswick Four solely focus on the night of the arrest and the subsequent court dates. Reporters use Murphy\u2019s retelling in several publications and emphasize her work within childcare, arguably to align her with traditional femininity and make audiences more sympathetic (\u201cObstruction Charges,\u201d par. 2; Carriere, \u201c\u2018Sophisticated,\u2019\u201d par. 8; Carriere, \u201cThree Women Assaulted,\u201d par. 1). Terms like \u201cassault\u201d are used to describe the physical violence the women faced, but \u201ctaunting\u201d is used in place of verbal assault and harassment (Carriere, \u201cThree Women Assaulted\u201d). The language used downplays the scope of institutional violence LGBTQ2+ folks faced (and still do). Overall, news coverage tends to focus on Murphy\u2019s perspective and the unlawful arrests are described in detail, perhaps to ignite passion in readers to take action. However, no archived news coverage on protests and rallies, like the one the poster illustrates, could be found. Though the framing of the story sheds light on the injustices the women endured, the Brunswick Four\u2019s experience is treated like an isolated incident rather than just one of many acts of violence at the hands of police that members of the LGBTQ2+ community were subject to. The goal of focusing on the acts of violence the women endured may be a call for action, yet there was little to no media attention on the actions members of the LGBTQ2+ community took in response.
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The \u201cJustice\u201d System
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In the 1976 inquiry into the Toronto Police Force\u2019s use of excessive force, Justice Donald Raymond Morand outlined the event by reviewing police documents and Patricia Murphy\u2019s report. In his review, Morand highlights that the women consumed alcohol before entering the tavern (66). He also notes that patrons and the tavern\u2019s manager were offended by the use of profanity in their song (67), yet articles published in The Globe and Mail<\/em> interviewed patrons who found the song entertaining (\u201cObstruction Charges,\u201d par. 4; Carriere, \u201c\u2018Sophisticated,\u2019\u201d par. 5). Morand describes police intervention as initially polite, and then forceful once the women refused to leave the premises (67). Reviewing the arrest itself, Morand emphasizes that the women were abusive and reacting violently, and that a forceful arrest was necessary. It is acknowledged that police used abusive language when addressing the women but Morand reinforces that the women were antagonizing, essentially excusing the officers\u2019 acts of violence (70). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morand\u2019s ruling highlights the viewpoint that members of the LGBTQ2+ community are deviant for straying away from the rigid gender binary and heteronormativity. In one article, a police officer stated he \u201chad never heard such foul language used by women\u201d during the arrest, which suggests that the justice system criminalized the Brunswick Four\u2019s act of counter violence because it stepped outside of the boundaries of Western femininity (Carriere, \u201cComplaints from Troublemakers,\u201d par. 16).
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Community Response
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Because there are few available artifacts on the event (and subsequent immediate reaction from the public), the significance of the protests is hard to pin down. In hindsight, the coverage that remains both electronically and in print is disheartening and perhaps represents the lack of importance queer politics have been given when acknowledging history in Canada. For their time, the \u201cBrunswick Four\u201d were instrumental in raising awareness about queer rights and gave other lesbians the courage to come forward and advocate for themselves. The aggressive response from the police could also be linked to the brutality of officials on marginalized communities. Their performance of \u201cI Enjoy Being A Dyke\u201d is also an example of protest through music, subverting dominant narratives by their changing of lyrics.  The above poster echoes sentiments of non-normative forms of protest as it calls for a \u201cdance to support\u201d the cause in the immediate aftermath of the unlawful arrests of these women. Even in 1974, they challenge what is considered \u201cunladylike\u201d with the poster implying that the only crime these women committed was refusal to conform to stereotypical gender norms. In today\u2019s context, the politics of this event remain relevant. Queer bodies can still fall under scrutiny if they fail to conform to dominant gender norms and police brutality continues to affect marginalized communities. The act of protest through song and dance is also an interesting political movement in and of itself. Though the documents that remain are few and far between, we rely on the memories they contain to continue to give life to this story and what that night meant for lesbians in Canada. The poster represents a moment in time where \u201cThe Brunswick Four\u201d were rallied behind by the queer community and offered a space for those who are targeted to \u201cdance\u201d as protest itself. This process of documenting the event proved challenging with such few materials to base information on. Overall, it proved how instrumental an archive is in retaining the significance of political movements in history. This poster is proof of the ordeal these four women went through and the power their non-conformity and resistance had on the queer community. It asks us to remember what happened and to remember these faces.
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Authors <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morgan Abbott is a Master’s student in the Gender Studies and Feminist Research Program, Jeanina Fischbach is an International Exchange Student, and Victoria Throckmorton is a Master’s student in Communication Studies and Multi-Media at McMaster University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“1974-The Brunswick Four-Forging a movement!” Canadian History Comes Out<\/em>, 27 January 2010,
https:\/\/canadianhistorycomesout.wordpress.com\/2010\/01\/27\/1974-the-brunswick-four-forging-a-movement\/<\/a> . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carriere, Vianney. “Complaints from Troublemakers Drive Police to Quit, Probe Told.” The Globe and Mail (1936-Current)<\/em>, 11 April 197, pp. 4. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—. “‘Sophisticated, Witty’ Or Cause for Riot?” The Globe and Mail (1936-Current)<\/em>, 9 April, 1975, pp. 4. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—. “Three Women Assaulted, Taunted as Lesbians, Child-Care Worker Testifies at Police Probe.” The Globe and Mail (1936-Current)<\/em>, 8 April 1975, pp. 5. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lorinc, John, et al. Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer<\/em>. Coach House Books, 2017.
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“Obstruction Charges Withdrawn.” The Globe and Mail (1936-Current)<\/em>, 1 June 1974, pp. 26. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ontario. The Royal Commission into Metropolitan Toronto Police Practices<\/em>. 1976, pp. 66-71. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ontla.on.ca\/library\/repository\/mon\/25006\/15711.pdf<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warner, Tom. Never Going Back: A History of Queer Activism in Canada<\/em>. University of Toronto Press, 2002.
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