Anz Ginther
DARE Project: Histories of Queer Sport in Toronto: Cabbagetown Group Softball League
Program(s) of Study: Human Rights and Equity Studies
Project Supervisor: Tom Hooper
Given the CGSL's feat as the "longest-running sports league in Toronto's 2SLGBTQIA+ community," I was hopeful that my research would work to protect and enliven lived experiences that are undeniably imperative to the continuity of this league.
Project Description:
My research project is grounded in the active preservation of local queer history via Toronto's longest-standing 2SLGBTQIA+ sports league; the Cabbagetown Group Softball League (CGSL). Through a combination of archival research and oral history interviews, the project aims to conserve histories that are often overlooked or erased. I began the project by creating a generalized bibliography comprised of articles that pertain to queer sports leagues. Next, I sorted through and filed documents at Toronto's LGBTQ ArQuives. I spent a large portion of May and June organizing the files and familiarizing myself with the responsibilities of an Archivist. I then conducted research on historical newspaper databases including the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and the Body Politic, with a particular focus on mentions of the Cabbagetown Group Softball League (CGSL). My next task was to develop interview questions based on a theme of interest. I crafted roughly 20 questions relating to the idea of participation in the CGSL as an act of resistance. The interviews have yet to take place.The Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) - Undergraduate enables our students to meaningfully engage in research projects supervised by LA&PS faculty members. Find out more about DARE.