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In 1975, the informal collective that had founded Canada’s leading gay liberation newspaper, the Body Politic, in 1971 incorporated as Pink Triangle Press (PTP). Now one of the oldest producers of queer media content in the world, Pink Triangle Press is responsible for Xtra Magazine, the travel guide Pink Ticket Travel, multiple dating services and the 2021 documentary Small Town Pride.
Background and Founding
In July 1975, members of the Body Politic collective, which had been led by gay activist Jearld Moldenhauer, incorporated as Pink Triangle Press (PTP). The name was inspired by the pink triangle that gay inmates of Nazi concentration camps were forced to wear to identify them as homosexuals. The collective chose this name to reflect an interest in LBGTQ2 history and “our commitment to vigilance.”
Key Publications
In September 1977, PTP published its first book: With Downcast Gays: Aspects of Homosexual Self-Oppression, by Andrew Hodges and David Hutter. This pioneering study of gay self-oppression was originally published in London by Pomegranate Press in 1974. A French-language translation, Pardonez-nous notre existence: Aspects de l’auto-oppression homosexuelle, was published in Quebec City in 1979 by the Groupe gai de l’Université Laval. In 1982, PTP published Flaunting It! A Decade of Gay Journalism from The Body Politic, edited by Ed Jackson and Stan Persky.
In January 1984, PTP launched the newspaper Xtra as a promotional tool for the Body Politic. Xtra was intended to reach more people and a different audience than the Body Politic, whose content was more academic and activist oriented. Xtra proved so successful that it effectively replaced the Body Politic, which ceased publication in 1987.
Controversies and Court Cases
On 5 January 1978, in Toronto, the Crown attorney laid charges against PTP and its officers Gerald Hannon (treasurer), Ed Jackson (secretary) and Ken Popert (president). The first charge (use of the mails for the distribution of obscene material) pertained to the publication of Gerald Hannon's article “Men Loving Boys Loving Men” in the December 1977–January 1978 issue of the Body Politic. The second charge (possession of obscene material for the purpose of distribution) concerned the distribution of the book Loving Man, by Dr. Mark Freedman and Harvey Mays.
On 2 January 1979, the trial of PTP began in Toronto before Ontario Provincial Court judge Sydney Harris. The six days of testimony and legal arguments attracted large numbers of spectators and reporters. The trial received national and international media attention and support from prominent gay rights leaders. Rallies were held across Canada, as well as in Boston, New York and San Francisco, to protest the trial. The PTP defendants were found not guilty and acquitted.
Other Activities
Pink Triangle Press launched the gay dating website Squirt.org in 1999 and acquired the gay dating app GuySpy in 2017. From 2003 until 2012, PTP was a minority partner in PrideVision TV, later rebranded as OutTV.
In December 2023, PTP announced that it had partnered with the Canada Media Fund (CMF) to develop a series of reports called Pink Papers. PTP said that the purpose of the research reports is “to celebrate and advocate for LGBTQ2S+ professionals working in these industries through research, reporting, and recognition.”
(See also Queer Culture.)
