By Gwen Frost
On Wednesday November 29, University of British Columbia history professor Coll Thrush talked about how indigenous people were central to the development of London as a global and imperial city. People from what is now Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand began to enter London in the 16th century, and became an integral part of London’s cultural infrastructure.
Back when Thrush attended Western from 1989 to 1993, the Associated Students Queer Resource Center was called GALA (Gay Lesbian Alliance), and then the LGBA (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance). Thrush held the position of coordinator from 1991 to 1992, followed by becoming the vice president of the student body.
Being the coordinator of GALA 25 years ago had a different set of goals than the QRC does now.
“Things were really different. A lot of what we were doing is basic ‘who are gay people 101,’” said Thrush.
Thrush said they would go into classrooms and educate by familiarizing students with the concept of gay people, basically saying “there are gay people, on campus. We exist.”
The group also had to deal with lobbying against hate legislation, working with the group Hands Off Washington.
The country was also in the midst of an epidemic, giving the need for lots of HIV/AIDS awareness, something Thrush said was very critical for the group.
“We had a Thursday night group where people in the closet could just come and be safe with us,” Thrush said. “The landscape was just so different.”
Now in popular culture, we see queerness presented in media frequently.
“We no longer have to say we exist, we can say things that are more interesting,” at least in Bellingham, Thrush specified.
Thrush’s talk on Wednesday was about his most recent book “Indigenous London: Native Travelers at the Heart of Empire.”
The book looks at how indigenous people came to London over the course of 500 years, and gives the reader a retelling of the city’s story through them.
“Some of that interest comes out of the student activism,” Thrush said, adding that GAYLA did a lot of coalition work with the Native American Student Union.
Thrush’s first book, in 2007, was an indigenous history of Seattle, and he got the idea to analyze London next when his husband (from London) casually suggested that Thrush look at London next.
“It was an offhand comment,” Thrush said ” [But] you never know where a new project is going to come from.”
Being on Western’s campus 25 years later, Thrush said he still can sense “a really strong progressive streak.” He acknowledged that progressivism still has a long way to go, but he still sees “a real, passionate interest in justice.”