History of LGBT community in New Brunswick being compiled

A small group of archivists and historians is starting to collect the stories and history of New Brunswick's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. 

The New Brunswick Queer Heritage Initiative is asking the public to submit photos, letters, and documents from across the province to help piece together the history of people who identify as being part of the LGBT community. 

"We're really small at the moment," said Dusty Green, the founder of the initiative. "But we've had a lot of interest."

The independent initiative is working with the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick to create space for any related material.

"We want to act as a safe space to store all those things," said Green, who is working as a student at the provincial archives. "We want to keep and share stories that have never been told." 

Green says he came up with the idea for the project when he noticed odd pictures while combing through historical amateur photographs.

"There was a prisoner of war camp in Amherst, Nova Scotia where all the men were dressed in drag and fooling around," said Green. "Lots of photos where men are wearing dresses and mops on their heads as wigs." 

I grew up gay in New Brunswick in the '90s and that was a trying experience. So I can't imagine what is was like back then.- Dusty Green, founder of the initiative

"It's amazing," said Green. "Not at all what you would expect at a POW camp."

The find led Green to look for more examples of LGBT history.

"You look at old pictures and see lots of older folks, posing with their wives, and family. But then you come across pictures of men hugging, or draped over each other and you go, 'This is something different.'" 

Green says the items examined by the initiative to date are limited because documented expression of LGBT relationships or lifestyles were traditionally hidden.

"It is not something people talked about for a long time," he said.

"I grew up gay in New Brunswick in the '90s and that was a trying experience. So I can't imagine what is was like back then." 

Green has been fascinated with the uncovered history of Cub Coats and Leonard Keith, who were described as boyfriends in the Havelock, N.B., region in the early-1900s.

A photo album, which was donated to the archives, shows the two men canoeing, hugging, posing and wrestling in isolation at Keith's cabin outside the rural community.

"We've learned that Leonard owned a garage and was in the army, but we're not sure about Cub, other than he was in the military, because that's not his real name," said Green. "But they were really affectionate." 

Keith ended up being outed for the relationship and run out of town, said Green, who delved further into the historical records, but has so far been unable to find more documents about the two men or their relationship beyond that point.

"It's a sad story, but I think it's a very important one," said Green. "These are stories that have never been heard and I think New Brunswickers are ready to hear them."

Raegean Swanson, the archival advisor for the Council of Archives New Brunswick, is working with the New Brunswick Queer Heritage Initiative to create a space to collect and safeguard historical documents and artifacts for the fledgling group. 

"I'm hoping that this goes beyond the queer community, and not just gay and lesbian groups in the region, but also helps to educate people that have questions," said Swanson. "This would offer a place for everyone to learn." 

Anyone wishing to donate material to the New Brunswick Queer Heritage Initiative can reach the group at NewBrunswickQI@gmail.com.