SEX GARAGE : 35 years later | Quebec Gay Archives

Sunday, July 16, 1990, at 4 a.m., the SPCUM (Service de police de la communauté urbaine de Montréal) raided the Sex Garage, a private party for gays and lesbians in Montreal. Eight partygoers were arrested.

At 7pm the same day, hundreds of gays and lesbians demonstrated, blocking Sainte-Catherine Street East in front of the Beaudry metro station. Following negotiations with the police, the demonstrators lifted the blockade in exchange for a meeting with Montreal's police chief scheduled for the following day, July 17, at noon, at police station no. 25 on De Maisonneuve Boulevard West.

When the police chief failed to show up the next day, the 250 gays and lesbians present blocked the street, declaring a Sit-In and Kiss-In. The riot squad attacked and beat the demonstrators. 48 people were arrested.

These events sparked a three-year struggle against violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians in Quebec. This struggle culminated in public hearings before the Human Rights Commission. The result was a report entitled “De l'illégalité à l'égalité”, containing 41 recommendations to ensure the safety and respect of gays and lesbians in Quebec.

The exhibition by curators Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf is presented by the Archives gaies du Québec (AGQ). The exhibition is on display at Parc de l'Espoir and the AGQ offices, with a series of boards and archives on the event and its repercussions.

July 16 to September 13, 2025
Wednesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m.