‘The most openly gay person for at least a thousand miles’: Doug Wilson and the Politicization of a Province, 1975-83

Abstract

This article explores and analyzes the work of Saskatchewan gay activist Doug Wilson. As a University of Saskatchewan graduate student, Wilson was unwittingly launched onto an activist career trajectory when attempts to form a campus gay organization brought him into conflict with administrators. Immediately, a Committee to Defend Wilson was created, and its battle against homophobia and homosexual discrimination was the subject of considerable provincial and national media attention. As the public face for the gay movement, Wilson’s situation led to unprecedented public discussions about homosexuality. Subsequently, Wilson’s leadership in lobbying for human rights protection and his educational work and grassroots outreach to small town and to rural gays and lesbians further raised awareness and lay a critical foundation for human rights legislation. Situated within the context of the emergent gay and lesbian community, this exploration of the Wilson case, along with his subsequent political work, offers an unique perspective into the world of Prairie gay and lesbian communities. Abstract: Cet article explore et analyse l’œuvre de Douglas Wilson, l’activiste gai de Saskatchewan. Etudiant de 2e cycle a l’universite de la Saskatchewan, Wilson fut propulse malgre lui sur la trajectoire d’une carriere d’activiste lorsque des tentatives visant a creer sur le campus une organisation gaie l’opposerent a l’administration. Un comite pour la defense de Wilson fut immediatement mis sur pied et la lutte contre l’homophobie et la discrimination homosexuelle capta l’attention des medias a l’echelon provincial et national. La situation de Wilson, figure publique du mouvement gai, donna lieu dans la population a des discussions sans precedent sur l’homosexualite. Par la suite, son role de leader dans le lobbying pour la protection des droits de la personne, de meme que son travail d’information et de diffusion en vue de rejoindre les gais et lesbiennes des petites villes et de la campagne, allaient exacerber la prise de conscience du public et poser l’assise necessaire a la future legislation sur les droits de la personne. Replace dans le contexte de l’emergence de la communaute gaie et lesbienne, un regard sur la situation et sur l’œuvre politique subsequente de Wilson offre une perspective unique sur cette communaute dans les Prairies.

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