The pioneer of the homosexual scene and personifier of the undisputed queen of Montreal nights in the 50s, 60s and 70s, Armand Larrivee Monroe, is no more.
Fierté Montréal made the announcement on its Facebook page. He was 88 years old.
“Initiator of a bubbling and flamboyant gay scene, Armand Monroe – also known as La Monroe – not only opened doors to those who would one day be called drag queens, but first shattered a ceiling of glass for men who simply wanted to love each other in public,” writes the organization.
The last of a family of 13 children, Armand Larrivee was born in 1935 and grew up in the Saint-Henri district of Montreal. Attracted by the lights of the city center which he observes from afar in the evening, he left his family home at the age of 18 to settle there.
In 1957, when he was already known as “La Monroe” for his admiration for the actress Marilyn Monroe, and when he was at the Tropical Room, the lounge of the Downbeat Club located in on Peel Street, his enthusiasm and charisma pique the curiosity of owner Solly Silvers.
The latter suggested that he become a host at the Tropical Room, a role that Armand Monroe took on with enthusiasm and in which he revolutionized the world of gay bars in Montreal by offering homosexual clientele shows designed for them.
In 1958, after lobbying the owner of the Tropical Room, he finally obtained permission for men to dance together, a first in Montreal, we can read on the City’s website.
“It was a pioneer”
Michel Tremblay notably passed him down to posterity by including him among the characters in his novel The Night of Prince Charming.
He was a pioneer of the drag queen movement, long before Mado, long before the impersonators or drag queens of today. Before Mado, there was Armand Monroe.
Luc Provost, well known for his character Mado Lamotte
“When I started performing in 88, Armand was still present on the Montreal scene, we still saw him in cabarets and he was already a legend. When he came in to give shows, it was a little intimidating,” says Michel Dorion, another well-known “female impersonator”.
“Armand was from the old days, he was the type of artist who didn’t have his tongue in his pocket,” he adds. “He was someone I really liked. »
The John Banks Prize was awarded to Armand Monroe, to highlight his exceptional contribution to the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.