Herstory of the Gazebo Connection
In the early nineteen eighties if you were a lesbian woman and wanted to meet other lesbian women your option was limited to the few gay bars or clubs that were operating at that time. They were dirty, dark establishments in rough areas of the city; the bathrooms had stalls where doors where non-existent. These were hardly places where lesbian women could have a quiet drink, pleasant conversation and feel good about themselves. These were also "Anita Bryant" times, where some women were fearful of being outed and worried about the ramifications of being labeled a lesbian in their workplace. It was for many of these reasons that Marsha Trew believed that there was a great need for a lesbian organization as an alternative to the club scene. As Marsha was new to the city, and knew very few other lesbians, she related her ideas to Paulette Thomson. Paulette, like Marsha, felt a place was needed where gay women could meet, socialize, and feel good about their surroundings. Paulette asked some of her friends to a meeting with Marsha. The group, consisting of Marsha and Paulette, Sharyn Collis, Judith Shaver, and Val Fortey, spent the next few months organizing a first event.
Sharyn and Judith frequented a lovely restaurant on upper Granville Street called the Gazebo. It was run by a gay man and was closed on Monday evenings. The owner was very receptive to having events held at his restaurant on Monday evenings. This restaurant was chosen specifically for its ambience, the lovely pale pink tablecloths and bouquets of flowers on every table. Once a date was chosen the group sat down and made a list of people who might be interested in attending the first event. The five organizers put up the money to guarantee fifty dinners and the seats were quickly sold out. The scene was set for an evening were women of diverse opinions and skills could meet. The dinner was gate crashed by a group of women that felt the dinner was elitist and that such an organization would never work. The organizers listened to the women and made every effort to make forthcoming events affordable. The overall consensus of opinion of the women who attended that first night was that the idea was exciting. For some women this evening was also nerve-racking, because essentially they were "coming out". We applaud them for their courage. And so the "Gazebo" was born. The organization was named after that restaurant and was considered to be a name that was neutral and was not associated with any particular group. Subsequent monthly dinners were advertised at clubs, by word of mouth, and flyers. The events became very popular and tickets were purchased by mail in advance. As the membership grew, events were held in larger restaurants such as the Water Street Café and the Quarry House. Finally, it was moved to the Stanley Park Pavilion. Stanley Park was a safe environment for gay women to have dinner, listen to keynote speakers, discuss ideas and dance. The employees were very friendly and efficient.

It was decided that a logo should follow, to give a symbol to this new social venture. Val Fortey, a geological draftsperson by trade, began with a gazebo inference. After making sketches of the gazebo in the park at English Bay, Val returned to her apartment, then with pen and paper the design began to take shape. Starting with the octagonal framework, together with the arches and columns, it was natural to have the women's symbol intrinsically connecting to one another as a means of support, and also to form the central piece of the gazebo. With the birth of this new symbol Val felt it was important that it take on a classical appearance and possess a timeless quality.

In addition to the monthly dinner and dances, women started to form interest groups and planned events such as a monthly book club meeting and recreational activities. After twenty-seven years the organization is still going strong, with a newsletter, golf events, dances, and dinners. Bravo to Marsha Trew, Paulette Thomson, Sharyn Collis, Judith Shaver and Val Fortey.