See also Bloc Québécois; Business and the econ-
omy in Canada; Charlottetown Accord; Chrétien,
Jean; Minorities in Canada; Mulroney, Brian.
Queer Nation
Identification Gay and lesbian activist
organization
Date Founded in 1990
Queer Nation’s founding marked the first large-scale recla-
mation of the word “queer” for the gay and lesbian commu-
nity. It also introduced a new style of activism for lesbians
and gays, a shift away from assimilation-based efforts that
preceded the group.
In the spring of 1990, a small group of activists for
gay and lesbian equality joined together in New
York’s Greenwich Village to start a new movement.
They were disenchanted with the state of most large-
scale gay and lesbian rights organizations, which had
turned so much of their focus to AIDS or tolerance
models of inclusion. Of these organizations, those
who were concentrating on broader issues of gay
and lesbian equality focused on a goal of assimila-
tion of gays and lesbians with the heterosexual main-
stream. Groups such as the Human Rights Cam-
paign espoused that lesbians and gays were just like
heterosexuals and thus should be treated equally.
Much like ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash
Power), Queer Nation rejected this moderate posi-
tion, choosing instead to promote the unique quali-
ties of gay and lesbian people in order to be cele-
brated (rather than just tolerated) because of these
attributes.
Fundamentally opposed to the way organizations696 Queer Nation The Nineties in America
A huge Canadian flag is shown among a crowd on October 27, 1995, in Montreal, where thousands of people rallied in support of the
Quebec referendum.(AP/Wide World Photos)