Angles on Je Suis Charlie

I was the news editor of Angles – Vancouver BC Canada’s original queer newspaper – although, for many years the masthead said “gay and lesbian”.

I was instrumental in the addition of “Bisexual” and I am sorry that I missed the transgender. That was corrected by a later more plucky and less patient volunteer than I was.

 

I wrote news, features, community and A&E and I took photos and did layout.

 

 

One night, the Vancouver police showed up – well 2 cops.

 

They told us that the police had received a bomb threat against the paper and they ordered us out to search.

 

We didn’t believe them and it was our production weekend. We had a printer’s deadline to meet.

 

They did search with some of our staff observing and taking photos and there was nothing found.

 

Their search was rather half assed as well and was just one more way the police harassed the queer community.

 

This was in 1992/1993 in Canada.

 

 

But, that was not my first encounter with violence and journalism.

 

In high school, Sardis Secondary 1985. the student paper ran my semi satire article poking fun at the school’s social classes.

 

It was lucky that I moved, because the office did receive death threats against me.

 

My parents were never even informed and I found out a few weeks after the uproar had died down.

 

it was the biggest selling issue that the paper had had in it’s history to that point.