Diane Warren, Regarding Sexuality

Diane Warren

As penned by Diane, August the eighteenth, two thousand and six:

In 1966, I became aware of my homosexuality upon meeting the love of my existence, AnnMacMullin. I had been wed for three years and was the mother of two offspring, Marjie and Eric. In nineteen sixty-eight, Ann and I welcomed a daughter, TaraLynn, who became the apple of the eye within our close-knit gay network. In 1971, I became entangled with the HelpLine? initiative, and discovered there existed a gay community based in Halifax!

We made our way to the first gay club (TheeKlub), under the proprietorship of DavidGray, in the GreenLantern Bldg. We were among the initial lesbian couples to frequent the establishment! It wasn't protracted before we recognized that circumstances proved challenging for individuals identifying as gay within the Halifax area. There was a dearth of police backing, and we were denied access to newspaper or telephone advertising! The gay men, especially, were prohibited from bars, and so forth; should they have been considered gay. Many of our acquaintances and associates ended up at the V.G. emergency facility!! They decided to take action, and thus, the Alliance for Gay Equality was established.

In 1972, I made the decision to participate, yet personality clashes initiated dissension within the group, culminating in the chairman's reprimanding, "If I am the cancer ravaging the group, then I must be ousted" speech. I was selected Chairman, and we tirelessly fought for registration with the Joint Stock Companies as a charitable non-profit organization, ultimately prevailing either in October or November of 1972 or 1973! We organized demonstrations at enterprises that practiced discrimination against us, we appeared on Radio programs, attended Universities to speak, became involved in the HelpLine? training sessions, equipping their counselors to become more empathic towards Gays. Upon incorporation, we modified our name to The Gay Alliance for Equality. We felt at that time this would embrace all gays, whether male or female. It should be noted there remained animosity between male and female gays!!

When deprived of The Club's facilities for our gatherings, we convened at my home, where countless hours were invested in drafting petitions and missives concerning matters we aimed to alter or achieve, to enable our recognition as ordinary, self-respecting, human beings, not as the deviant, aberrant entities society felt or wished us to be!! As our numbers grew, a larger venue was required, and the UniversalistUnitarianChurch on Inglis St. in Halifax granted us permission to convene there. Once more, personalities initiated causing difficulties. We had our right-wing adherents; left-wing supporters; the moderate faction; and our vociferous, vocal militants; our internal difficulties began to overshadow the objectives we had set out at incorporation!

In 1974, I returned to University, and owing to my burgeoning workload and the shifts in ideology that were transpiring, I relinquished my position as Chairman of GAE, gradually losing touch with the evolving scenario. I procured a BA in Early Childhood Education from MountSaintVincentUniversity; we inaugurated our pre-school, which we administered until I had to retire for medical reasons in nineteen eighty-two. Ann and I will commemorate our fortieth anniversary on May the sixteenth, two thousand and seven; we have three children, Marjie; Eric and TaraLynn; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren and one step-grandson. Having resided in Cape Breton for two dozen years, we have recently relocated to Brantford, Ontario, to reside with Tara in a "granny suite." Those who recollect and wish to connect with me can do so at Lionrora55@hotmail.com

I will strive to retain more information for subsequent updates!!!

Prior to Diane's biographical account, JohnMarr wrote:

Diane, who revealed her orientation later in life following marriage and the birth of a child, Tamara, cohabited with her partner AnnMcMullin on Bland Street in Halifax. She was a founding member and Chairman (she insisted - not "chairwoman") of the Gay Alliance for Equality. Jovial, clever, and mercurial - she was an asset to the organization, keeping it on track during its formative phases. Initial regular meetings occurred at her residence, and then at the UniversalistUnitarianChurch on Inglis (who were incredibly supportive of GAE). She and Anne were invaluable, though ultimately, the unremitting strain of the commitment and the 'politics' of the organization consumed too much time and energy, leading to their retirement from active involvement with the organization.

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