Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf will celebrate their 20e wedding anniversary next spring, as well as the 50th anniversary of their meeting, on December 31. True pioneers in the fight for the recognition of LGBTQ+ people in the country, the two men are still passionate about the rights of minorities. And still so in love with each other.
They arrive on time for the appointment. With a brisk step, although the oldest of the couple, Michael Hendricks, moves with the help of a cane. Except for the gray and white hair, they haven’t changed that much. They are as happy and proud as when they were in the headlines. At the time of the long fight of their marriage… very publicized.
“We fought alone for our marriage. At first, the homosexual community refused to support us. Gays and lesbians thought we were going too far, that it was better to stay in the shadows and not show off too much, for fear of a backlash from heterosexuals,” recalls René Lebœuf.
However, the 1er April 2004, the two men were married without incident… and life went on. Why this date? “Because the others were reserved,” replies Michael Hendricks. Except for this day. Since we had been waiting for seven years, we couldn’t wait to go to the courthouse, regardless of April Fool’s Day. »
From relations with the police to domestic violence, including the inauguration of the Parc de l’Espoir; from the fight against AIDS to homophobia to anti-gay murders, the couple have been active on many fronts for 40 years. What is the most important victory in his eyes?
“Recognition of our rights by the State,” replies Mr. Leboeuf. Socially, open discrimination against lesbians and gays is illegal. If it still exists, it remains rather rare or, at least, discreet. We are recognized in Quebec as full citizens; just like heterosexual citizens. »
For Mr. Hendricks, the greatest gift of community is “coming out”. “Being able to come out of hiding, out of the closet, right from puberty, that’s great! Of course, you don’t have to. But you have a choice. »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Michael Hendricks and René Lebœuf answer questions from the journalist from The Press on the terrace of the Parma Café, at the Jean-Talon market.
It has not always been the case. In the 1980s, lovers were rejected by the families of HIV patients.
I remember parents preventing a boyfriend from seeing his dying spouse in the hospital or from going to the funeral. Of families emptying a dead man’s apartment, taking away all the furniture except the mattress…because they said the bed was soiled by sex. There were daily injustices.
Michael Hendricks
Two pioneers
Before the HIV epidemic arrived in 1985, there was no “real” LGBTQ+ activism, they say. “It was more like lobbying. Real activism arrived with Act-Up, during the AIDS conference in Montreal in 1989, a conference that changed the course of AIDS history,” recalls Mr. Leboeuf.
Along with the ravages of the virus, a spate of gay murders was rampant in the Village at the time, and the community had serious problems with the police department. The “Speaking Violence at Last” project, led by Claudine Meltcalfe, was launched at the same time as the Gay and Lesbian Table de concertation, in which Montreal police chief Jacques Duchesneau took part. “He was more open than his predecessors and things started to change in our relationship with the police,” says Hendricks.
The couple does not understand the decision of Pride Montreal to prohibit the participation of uniformed police officers in the parade. “They have the same rights as the rest of the population,” says Mr. Hendricks. In the 1990s, the police admitted their mistakes, discrimination and intimidation towards the community. Duchesneau helped us deal with the homicide issue as well. We all need police protection. But we don’t need discrimination. »
“It is true that there is still brutality and violence towards certain communities,” adds her spouse. But it is a social problem, before being a police problem. It’s okay to take to the streets to vent your anger and speak out against injustice. But if you just protest, you don’t solve the problems. You also have to be able to reach out and open up a dialogue. »
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Michael Hendricks and René Lebœuf do not understand Pride Montreal’s decision to prohibit the participation of uniformed police officers in the parade.
Waiting for a leader
In 2023, the couple believe intolerance is now spilling over to transgender people and drag queens.
The issue of drags in libraries is a distraction to avoid talking about pressing matters. The right thinks these minorities are an easy target to express their hatred of difference. I don’t think the right accepts homosexuality these days. Our enemies are caught with us. They tolerate us.
Michael Hendricks
The sixties and the (young) octogenarians sometimes find the current militant struggles complex; like the debates on pronouns, intersexuality and gender fluidity… But they inform themselves by trying to evolve with those who continue the fight. However, with an increasingly wide spectrum of colors, communities tend to isolate themselves from each other, according to them. René Lebœuf believes that today “a real leader capable of bringing the entire community together” is missing, as did Laurent McCutcheon, who died in 2019. “It’s a shame”, deplore the two former activists.
Summer Quiz
What your ideal summer looks like: Michael: “Living three months of pure idleness. » ; René: “Walking aimlessly and exploring the different neighborhoods of our beautiful city. »
The book I want to read this summer: Micheal: “ Save the city. Montreal Project and the challenge of transforming a modern metropolis, by Daniel Sanger”; Rene: “ May our joy remain, the most recent novel by Kevin Lambert. »
The people you would like to gather at the table, dead or alive: Michael: “Benjamin Franklin, Alexandre Dumas, father, Marie Curie, Hannah Arendt, René Lévesque”; René: “Larry Kramer, Jean-François Lisée, René Lévesque. »
The historical event you would have liked to experience: Michael: “Stonewall”; René: “The French Revolution. »
Who are they ?
Michael Hendricks, 81 years old. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he worked in film and computer science. He fled the United States in 1968 to escape conscription and fight the Vietnam War. René Leboeuf, 67 years old. Born in Quebec, he is a photographer and worked for a long time in the hotel industry.
They met on December 31, 1973, at a New Year’s party. Ardent defenders of the LGBTQ+ community in Quebec. They have, among other things, been active in Act-UP Montreal, co-founded the Parc de l’Espoir, the committee Saying Violence at Last and the Table de concertation gaie et lesbian (1992).
1er April 2004, at the Montreal courthouse, Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf become the first same-sex couple to marry civilly in Quebec.