Dear LIX Chicks,

Please take a moment to read the following information about a memorial service for long-time lesbian activist, Chris Bearchell.

The organizers of the Ottawa celebration of Chris' life warmly invite not only those individuals who knew Chris personally...but all LGBTQ people who have benefited from this courageous woman's efforts over more than 30 years.

Carroll Holland, one of the organizers, asked me to let you know that childcare will be provided at the event. Just give Carroll a call at (613) 761-1761. She is also putting together a collection of shared memories from the service to send out to Chris' loved ones on Lasqueti Island, B.C.

If you're planning to share thoughts and memories of Chris at the service, Carroll would be very appreciative if you could put those thoughts and memories down in an email to her at hollandcarroll@yahoo.ca so she can include your words in the collection. Thanks.

IN MEMORIUM – LESBIAN CHRIS BEARCHELL, A NATIONAL ICON

Chris Bearchell, 52, a phenomenal human being and extraordinary social justice activist, died in Vancouver General Hospital Feb.18, 2007 after a lengthy and courageous battle against cancer. Her recent home, until two weeks before her death, was on her beloved Lasqueti Island, near Vancouver Island, B.C.

A memorial celebration of this wonderful woman’s pioneering work in addressing systemic societal prejudice, particularly against lesbians and gays, will be held in Ottawa on Monday February 26th at 7p.m. at the SGI Buddhist Centre, 237Argyle (between Bank and O’Connor), 2nd floor. Please join us either to share your stories about Chris or to discover how her diligent efforts helped lesbians, gays and transgendered Canadians get closer to our goal of equal space at the political and institutional decision-making tables in our nation.

Chris’ activist base for several decades was Toronto. She was often the only lesbian contributor when she began writing in 1975 for the Body Politic, Canada’s legendary, monthly broadsheet paper devoted to gay and lesbian journalism. Chris joined the paper’s governing collective in 1978 and stayed until the paper’s demise in 1987. A deeply committed, determined and effective activist, Chris also co-founded the Lesbian Organization of Toronto (LOOT), was a key player with the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario (CLGRO), and acted as Chair of the Committee to Defend John Damien, a racing-horse trainer fired in Ontario in 1975 solely for being gay.

After the demise of the Body Politic, Chris worked in Toronto in the television field (with the Gay Offensive Collection), on an AIDS project (with inner-city youth) and with Maggie’s (a prostitute’s rights group and drop-in). She consistently fought for the rights of kids, whatever their sexual orientation. Chris was an astute analyst of pornography and passionately opposed censorship. She figures prominently in Nancy Nicol’s 2002 documentary film Stand Together, a history of the lesbian and gay rights movement in Ontario from 1967 to 1987.

Chris is survived by Irit, Andrew, Will Collin, Penny and many, many more close friends and family. For more information about Chris Bearchell, please go to The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives: www.clga.ca. For further information about the memorial celebration, please call Carroll Holland at 613-761-1761