In the 1950s, 1422 Peel St was known as the Tropical Room, and then in the 1960’s, PJ’s, a cabaret and public space for Queer celebration during a time when homosexuality was highly criminalized. Organized by activist and drag icon, Armand Monroe (La Monroe), the club hosted drag performances until the 1980s. At this address, Monroe organized the first public dance between men in Montréal on August 27, 1958, in honor of his birthday.
1422 Peel Street, constructed in 1879, is a beautiful building in the heart of Montreal’s downtown and a significant site for the history of Montreal’s Queer communities.
Sources:
Burnett, Richard. “History of Queer Montreal Walking Tour: 1648 to 2018.” Three Dollar Bill, June 21, 2017, http://bugsburnett.blogspot.com/2017/06/brief-history-of-queer-montreal-and.html
This listing was created by Christiane-Marie Cantwell, Assistant Archivist at the Archives Gaies du Québec and Audrey Gray, Project Officer at the National Trust for Canada.
Founded in 1983, the Quebec Gay Archives have a mandate to acquire, conserve and preserve any handwritten, printed, visual or audio material which testify to the history of the LGBTQ+ communities of Quebec. The Quebec Gay Archives play an essential role as a guardian of LGBTQ2S+ history, through its conservation of archival fonds and collections, its organization of public events and by welcoming researchers and visitors to its reading room. Researchers can consult their collections on weekdays by appointment at info@AGQ.qc.ca.”
Please confirm details at the site’s own website before planning your visit. Are you the owner/operator of this historic place? Would you like to make changes to this listing? Please contact us at historicplacesday@nationaltrustcanada.ca
