IAGSDC Officers
The First years
The original International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs (IAGSDC) was formed in 1983 at the South Florida Fly-in. Members in attendance at the Fly-in came from The South Florida Mustangs, Western Star Dancers of San Francisco, Mile High Squares of Denver and Puddletown Squares from Seattle. Although not represented at this meeting The New Years Resolutions are also considered founding members of the IAGSDC. Unifying principles of the Association were adopted at this meeting.
The first draft of proposed by-laws was presented to participating clubs at the Reno Rodeo later that year. Seattle WA was selected to host the first Convention and Harlan Kerr was chosen as the Association's interim Chairperson.
Charter members at that time were:
- Capital City Squares (Sacramento, CA)
- DC Lambda Squares (Washington DC)
- Desert Valley Squares (Phoenix, AZ)
- Emerald City Squares (Seattle, WA)
- Foggy City (San Francisco, CA)
- Midnight Squares (San Francisco)
- Rocky Mountain Rainbeaus (Denver, CO)
- Rosetown Ramblers (Portland OR)
- Sidewinders (Houston, TX)
- Squares Across the Border (Vancouver, BC), which made it a truly international association
- The Wilde Bunch (Albuquerque, NM)
Since 1983 the IAGSDC has grown to about 60 full member clubs and half a dozen affiliate members in 3 countries. Currently we have member clubs in the United States, Canada, and Japan. Previous countries represented in the association included Australia and Denmark.
The IAGSDC continues to grow. We continue to attract a very diverse mix of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender dancers, in addition to allies. Dancers of any sexual orientation are welcome at any IAGSDC member club, and our branding was updated in 2024 to "IAGSDC: An LGBTQ+ Organization". Each year a host club holds our annual convention, usually in the US or Canada, attracting square dancers for a weekend celebration of dance, traditions, and related activities. Throughout the year, regional events hosted by local clubs attract hundreds of attendees.
IAGSDC History Project
A continuing project of the IAGSDC, the history project is working to computerize the historical records of the association. This includes information related to fly-ins and conventions, the officers of the club, and the evolution of the current organization. To explore the history of the IAGSDC in detail, go to our History Wiki.