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Last edited by QuicoleJR (talk | contribs) 2 months ago. (Update) |
Chris Bearchell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christine Bearchell August 16, 1953 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Died | March 18, 2007 (aged 53) Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada |
| Movement | Gay liberation |
| Honours | Induction to CGLA National Portrait Gallery, 2003 |
Christine (Chris) Bearchell (1953–2007) was a Canadian gay liberation activist and right to privacy advocate. Between 1975 and 1987, she was a regular contributor to The Body Politic. She co-founded the Lesbian Organization of Toronto as well as Maggie's, a drop-in centre for sex workers. She was also a leading member of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Toronto, and participated in the protests against Operation Soap.
Early life edit
Bearchell was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1953. She was the eldest daughter of Julia Battersby and Ben Bearchell, and had one younger brother and two younger sisters.[1] Bearchell attended Jasper Place High School. As a teenager, she participated in the anti-Vietnam War movement and the Campaign to Defend Dr. Henry Morgentaler. She moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1975.[2]
Activism edit
Bearchell was involved in organizing for multiple causes in Toronto between 1975 and 1995. Her causes included gay liberation, lesbian rights, sex workers' rights, privacy rights, opposition to censorship, AIDS advocacy, and abortion rights.[1] Bearchell was also a member of the League for Socialist Action, a Trotskyist organization.[3]
Gay liberation edit
Canadian Lesbian and Gay Rights of Ontario edit
The Body Politic edit
Operation Soap edit
They think that when they pick on us that they’re picking on the weakest. Well, they made a mistake this time. We’re going to show them just how strong we are. They can’t get away with this shit anymore. No more shit!
Chris Bearchell, at the Feb. 6 protest against Operation Soap.[4]
Bearchell participated in the Feb. 6, 1981 protest against the mass arrests conducted by Toronto Police the previous night during Operation Soap. Bearchell gave a speech to the gathered protesters at the corner of Yonge and Wellesley in Toronto's Gay Village, and was reportedly the one to start the chant "No more shit!", which became a prominent slogan in the community response to Operation Soap.[2][5]
Sex workers' rights edit
Beginning in the 1980s, Bearchell began organizing in the sex workers' rights movement. In 1983, she was a founding member of the Canadian Organization for the Rights of Prostitutes (CORP).[6] This organization advocated for the decriminalization of prostitution, spoke out against the prosecution of those involved in sex work, and provided advice and support to sex workers facing criminal charges.[7] After Bill C-49 was passed in December 1985, CORP organized to challenge the constitutionality of the law.[7] During the period of 1986 to 1991, Bearchell was one of the activists "at the helm of CORP's efforts for decriminalization".[6]
In 1986, Bearchell helped found Maggie's, a .... In 1990, Bearchell became the organization's coordinator after the previous coordinator, her close friend and collaborator Danny Cockerline, stepped down.[8]
Death edit
In 1995, Bearchell moved from Toronto to Lasqueti Island in British Colombia.[1] Two years later, in 1997, Bearchell was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a ten-year illness, she died in hospital in Vancouver on March 18, 2007.[2] She was 53 years old at the time of her death. Bearchell's death was marked by obituaries in Xtra!, Now Magazine, and The Globe and Mail, with other prominent Canadian LGBT activists sharing their recollections of her.[1][2] A memorial service was held at The 519 in Toronto, and was attended by "a veritable who's who of queer activism" in the city.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Shanahan, Noreen (27 April 2007). "She was Canada's rabble-rouser for gay rights". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Xtra staff (1 March 2007). "Activist Chris Bearchell dies at age 53 | Xtra Magazine". No. 583. Xtra! Toronto's Gay and Lesbian News. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ McLean, Duncan. "Gay Liberation in Canada: A Socialist Perspective". Socialist History Project. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ Smith, Annie (15 March 2007). "Chris Bearchell". No. 584. Xtra! Toronto's Gay and Lesbian News. p. 23.
- ^ Flaunting it! A decade of gay journalism from The Body Politic. Toronto: Pink Triangle Pr. 1982. p. 274. ISBN 978-0919888319.
- ^ a b McKenna, Emma (29 June 2021). "The white-painters of Cabbagetown: Neighborhood policing and sex worker resistance in Toronto, 1986–1987". Sexualities. 25 (7): 867–891. doi:10.1177/2F13634607211028500 – via PubMed Central.
- ^ a b Beer, Sarah (2011). The Sex Worker Rights Movement in Canada: Challenging the "Prostitution Laws" (PhD (dissertation) thesis). University of Windsor. p. 26. Retrieved 16 Mar 2024.
- ^ Leatherfield, Paul. (1999). "Danny Cockerline fonds" (finding aid). Prepared for The Arquives, Toronto. Retrieved 16 Mar 2024.
- ^ Garro, Julia (28 March 2007). "Embracing Eris". Xtra! Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2024.