Collection 10-080 - LOOT Oral History Project collection

The Lesbian Organization of Toronto (LOOT) was founded in 1976 and was Toronto's first openly lesbian feminist group. LOOT grew out of an October 1976 meeting convened in the C.H.A.T. (Community Homophile Association of Toronto) offices on Church Street. Fiona Rattray, an original member, estimates the meeting was attended by 30-60 lesbians. Members present at this meeting decided to rent part of a house, to develop a multi-use lesbian centre. LOOT was different from other lesbian organizations in many ways; its concept was to be an “umbrella organization open to all lesbians regardless of class, religion, race, political affiliation, degree of openness, or age.” (Ross, Becky, “The House That Jill Built”, p. 76) It was also unique in the fact that it operated in the first lesbian centre in Canada. The collective also included Eve Zaremba, who would later become one of Canada's first notable openly lesbian writers, and Lynne Fernie, a noted documentary filmmaker.

Situated at 342 Jarvis St., The Lesbian Organization of Toronto shared the three-story building with two other compatible organizations; The Other Woman, one of Toronto's longest lasting feminist newsmagazines, and the Three of Cups Women's Coffeehouse. LOOT moved into the house on February 1, 1977. The dream of LOOT members was to provide a space that “would serve to raise the profile of lesbians and lesbian activism, and provide a feminist alternative to the bar scene.” (Ibid, p.76) The organization regularly provided peer support, telephone counselling, dances, social & political activities, a lending library, a newsletter, potluck socials, brunches, concerts and performances by well-known feminist and lesbian musicians like Ferron, Alix Dobkin, Mama Quilla II, and Beverley Glenn Copeland. LOOT participated in several marches, and with its telephone line seems to have helped many women in their struggle of coming out.

In its brief history, it is most remembered for its co-organization of the 1979 Toronto conference A Fine Kettle of Fish: Lesbians and Feminists in the Women’s Movement as well as the 1979 Bi-national Lesbian Conference/Conférence lesbienne bi-nationale in collaboration with the International Women's Day Committee, on the University of Toronto campus. The organization, due to diverging political ideas and failure to be an “umbrella organization” for all lesbians, was forced to disband in 1980 soon after the Bi-national Conference.