Pyjama Party

Saturday, December 10, 1983
The Concert Hall

"The GCDC was pretty key in supporting gay life in Toronto at that time cause there weren't a lot of other options, there was no government support for anything."

- Chris Lea, GCDC Organiser 

The GCDC funded lesbian and gay liberation work in the 1980s, supporting dozens of groups in Toronto and its surrounding areas. Beginning in late 1983, the GCDC included on their advertising materials how much money they had raised, updating the cumulative amount for each dance. Leaflets and posters for Pyjama Party, their final dance of 1983, list 35 participating groups and state that the GCDC had raised over $94,000 since it began two years earlier. The Pyjama Party dance raised $2,088.84. 

Participating groups from the gay and lesbian community were allocated funds raised by GCDC dances according to two methods: volunteer credits, where organizations provided volunteers to work GCDC dances (for example at coat check), and tickets. Participating groups received funds based on how many tickets they sold. 

"I was very aware that GCDC dances were community organised spaces and that the money raised went to various community organisations. I was there because it was a community space, not a profit-making thing, and I wanted to support it. I think a lot of people felt that as well. It felt big and ours. The GCDC was a worthy thing because it was a way to put money into community organisations. It was a way to raise money, for some it would be a small amount and for some it would be a major amount, to do things. That sense of broad community support made GCDC important."

- Ed Jackson, GCDC Attendee 

Funds were also distributed to groups based on where dance attendees wanted their ticket proceeds to be directed. Each ticket had all of the participating groups listed, and dance attendees were asked to check a box for the organisation that they wanted to receive their ticket proceeds. Proceeds from unmarked tickets were distributed evenly among groups.

"People at GCDC dances knew that they were part of a community event. We kept pushing, this is community, community...a piece of their ticket would go to that organisation if they checked a box at the back of the ticket. They knew right away it wasn’t going to somebody’s pocket. All the flyers, on the back, said where the money was going to. We were explicitly not a profit-making organisation."

- Rob Stout, GCDC Organiser