John Hofsess was a writer whose work included queer people and characters, including Jane Rule, Marie-Claire Blais, and members of Gay Youth Toronto. His 1976 profile of John Damien was distributed through 21 newspapers, with a total readership of about five million people. Shortly after this profile was published, the chairman of the Ontario Racing Commission issued writs of libel to Damien, Hofsess, and the publishing newspapers (in what was likely an attempt to supress media coverage). The writs were dropped in October 1978. Hofsess attempted to print an ad in the Globe and Mail to raise funds for the Committee to Defend John Damien, but the Globe rejected it. He believed that homosexuals were gaining recognition as artists (and characters), but were losing ground in the real world due to a few “militants.”
| Names | John Hofsess (Main) BE [n75.28] |
|---|---|
| Related Pages | John Hofsess on LGLC |
| Occupations |
Journalist
1976/02/21 https://lglc.ca/event/n75.28 |
| Charges |
Toronto
Libel - 1976/01/06 “Racing Commission official drops libel suit against Damien,” Body Politic, no. 48 (1978), p. 14 |
| Associated Periodicals |
Weekend Magazine (Journalist)
1976/02/21 BCE [n75.28] Toronto Life (Writer)notAfter(1978/03) BCE [n78.117] |