Michael Phair
Michael Phair | |
|---|---|
| Edmonton City Councillor Ward 4 | |
| In office 1992–2007 | |
| Preceded by | Lance White |
| Succeeded by | Ben Henderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 1950 (age 74) Loyal, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Towson State University Loyal University San Francisco State University |
Michael Albert Phair (born August 1950) is a Canadian politician, who served on Edmonton City Council from 1992 until 2007. He was the first openly gay elected politician in the province of Alberta, as well as one of the earliest openly gay elected officials anywhere in Canada.
In 1981, Phair was one of 56 men arrested by the Edmonton Police Service during a raid by the morality control unit on the Pisces Health Spa, a gay bathhouse. He was convicted, but then appealed and had his record scrubbed.
The Pisces raid served to launch Phair's community activism as he helped to form many 2SLGBTQ community groups and organizations in Edmonton, including establishing the AIDS Network of Edmonton in 1984, which today is known as HIV Edmonton. He also worked closely with Maureen Irwin to organize the first parade for Edmonton Pride in the early 90s.
Following his retirement from elected politics, Phair has continued to be actively involved in the community, including serving as a board member of Edmonton Pride and as a founding member of the Edmonton Queer History Project.
Mr. Phair is an adjunct professor with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS) in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.