Would the bolo tie with the bull and matador woggle indicate a butch streak, or does the baby blue cord of the tie suggest otherwise? The stick of dried-out Wrigley's chewing gum hints at less than fastidious housekeeping really Joe! Most poignant among the scraps was a simple black and white, business-card sized piece, with a psychedelic pattern enclosing the words "You Are Not Alone.
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I admit to having qualms about outing Joe, even several years after his demise, until I found his Vancouver Sun obituary online. Noting his death at Vancouver General Hospital on April 26, , aged 80, the obit proudly stated that Joe was "survived by his loving companion of 27 years, Ralph Gotell. Having weathered the challenges of life as a gay man in the s and '50s and '60s, Joe was lovingly partnered and proudly out at the end. I don't think he'd mind our spinning this little tale around these bits and bobs his life.
I share these random musings about Joe Selsey and how he might have lived his life as a gay man in the Vancouver of his day for two reasons: To help us realize that there is at least two generations worth of local, verifiably gay history that is slipping beyond our grasp; and to ask you, gentle reader, to share this story and these photos with any friends you may have of Joe's generation. Ask if they knew him, and if they recall the Happytime Social Club, and can tell us just how happy those times were?
Even if they didn't know Joe or Ralph, perhaps something of these notes will jog a memory and stir up a story that we should add to our rich history. Before it's too late. You can contact the writer at stillqq dailyxtra.
- The Early Gay Rights Movement.
- What Grindr Taught Me About Dating Older Men;
- Gay Rights;
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Parents Alyson Schafer Baby Names. Video Salute Build. Blogs Blog Voices. So far my digging has turned up no further records of the lives of either Joe or Ralph. If you have such friends, and they're willing to chat, coffee's on me! Toronto Gay Pride March, Today, as he looks back on his life's work, Freidkin feels proud.
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