Timeline: Major 2SLGBTQIA+ and human rights events in Canada

Documenting and commemorating significant
events in Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ history

  • 1969-May-14. Canada decriminalized homosexual acts by creating a passage within the Criminal Law Amendment Act under the leadership of Justice Minister and Attorney General Pierre Elliot Trudeau. [4]

  • 1969. Homosexuality is legalized in Canada: consensual sex between same-sex adults is removed from the Criminal Code of Canada. Refers to legalization of anal sex only, for all genders over 21. [1, 2]

  • 1970. Ontario Ministry of Health lists transition-related surgery (TRS) as an OHIP covered procedure (delisted 1998; relisted 2008). [2]

  • 1971-Aug-28. The First Gay Rights Protest: Ottawa, Ontario. The first official Gay Liberation protest in Canada on Parliament Hill. LGBTQ+ Canadians and allies gathered to protest for equal rights and protections they required. [4]

  • 1973. Homosexuality is removed as a mental illness from the DSM-III. [2]

  • 1977-Feb-17. Picket Line Against Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The first public protest for the community in Halifax happened at the CBC headquarters when the CBC would not run a public service announcement advertisement to provide awareness about the Gay Alliance for Equality's Gayline. [4]

  • 1977. Quebec adds sexual orientation to its Human Rights Code. [1]

  • 1977-Oct-27. True and Le Mystique Raids: Montreal, Quebec. Police raided the two LGBTQ+ bars with over fifty police officers armed with guns. Arresting almost 150 gay men, the event was the biggest mass arrest of the time. [4]

  • 1978-Sep-01. [New Canadian Immigration Act removes homosexuals from list of banned persons. The Immigration Act of Canada was amended to no longer ban LGBTQ+ people from immigrating to Canada. [1, 4]

  • 1979. Canadian Human Rights commission recommends adding sexual orientation to the Canadian Human Rights Act. [1]

  • 1981. HIV/AIDS pandemic begins. [2]

  • 1981-Feb-05. Toronto Bath House Raids: Largest mass arrest in Canada. Operation Soap Raid: Toronto, Ontario. The Toronto Police attacked four gay boathouses arresting almost 300 men. Operation soap caused outrage and numerous rallies in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The raid was one of the largest in Canadian history. [2, 4]

  • 1982-Apr-21. Glad Day Bookshop Raid: Toronto, Ontario. One of the oldest LGBTQ+ book stores, still currently standing in Toronto, Ontario was raided by the Toronto Police Services. The queer bookshop was charged with having obscene materials for sale. [4]

  • 1985-Oct-16. "Equality of All" by the Parliamentary Committee of Canada was released. The report made recommendations to modify the Canadian Human Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. [4]

  • 1986. Ontario adds sexual orientation as a protected grounds to the Human Rights Code. Ontario recognizes sexual orientation in human rights legislation. [1, 2]

  • 1990-Jul-15. The Sex Garage After Party Raid: Montreal, Quebec. The Montreal Police raided the Sex Garage's after party triggering almost two days of violence between the LGBTQ+ community in Montreal and the Montreal Police. The event was a large moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality in Quebec. [4]

  • 1991-Jan-01. The City of Toronto officially began to endorse Pride Toronto. [4]

  • 1992-Oct-27. The Federal Government of Canada lifted the ban against LGBTQ+ Canadians being in the military. In a statement which stated "Canadians, regardless of their sexual orientation, will now be able to serve their country ... without restriction." [4]

  • 1993-Jun-30. Refugee status can officially be applied for on the basis of sexual orientation following a Canadian Supreme Court Ruling. Now considered a "social group" LGBTQ+ refugees can apply for status and protection within Canada as LGBTQ+ refugees. [4]

  • 1993. Supreme Court of Canada upholds denial of bereavement for same-sex partners. [2]

  • 1995-May. Sexual orientation is included in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [3]

  • 1995-May-24. Ontario makes it legal for same-sex couples to adopt. Same-sex couples are officially allowed to adopt children. The argument preventing same-sex couples to adopt was found to be a "blatant example of discrimination" by the Ontario Courts. [1, 4]

  • 1995-May-25. At the Supreme Court ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees the "right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination" includes the basis of sexual orientation. Despite sexual orientation not being specified. [4]

  • 1996-Jun-20. Bill C-33 officially gained the royal assent. This meant that the phrase "sexual orientation" was added to the Canadian Human Rights Act making it illegal to discriminate against those of differing sexual orientations. 17 years after being recommended, Bill C-33 passes and sexual orientation is added to the Canadian Human Rights Act. [1, 4]

  • 1998. Ontario Ministry of Health delists transition-related surgery (TRS) as an OHIP covered procedure (listed 1970; relisted 2008). [2]

  • 1999. Ontario's Family Law Act is modified to give same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as straight common law couples. [1]

  • 2000. Federal bill C-23 expands the definition of 'common-law' to include 'same-sex' couples, extending benefits, pension and income tax rights to LGBT couples. [1]

  • 2002. Alberta passes a bill defining marriage to be exclusively between a man and a woman. [1]

  • 2002. Toronto City Council passes a resolution calling the federal restriction of marriage for same-sex couples discriminatory. [1]

  • 2003. Ontario legalizes same-sex marriage. Ontario legalizes marriage rights for all citizens. [1, 2]

  • 2005-Jul-20. Federal Bill C-38 is passed and legalizes marriage rights for all citizens in Canada. Bill C-38 officially became a federal law, giving same-sex couples the right to legally get married. At this time, Canada was the fourth country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal. [1, 4]

  • 2008. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care relists transition-related surgery (TRS) as OHIP covered procedure (listed 1970; delisted 1998). [2]

  • 2012. Ontario adds gender identity and expression to protected grounds in the Human Rights Code. Ontario recognizes gender identity and gender expression in human rights legislation. [1, 2]

  • 2015-Dec. First reading of Federal Bill C-204, an Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression). [1]

  • 2017. Federal protection for transgender Canadians. [2]

  • 2019-Oct-29. Toronto Public Library Protest: Toronto, Ontario. After the public Toronto space was utilized to support an event by an author who is publicly transphobic with aggressive trans exclusive radical feminist views many in the city were outraged. Originally defending the choice, the CAPAL issued a statement speaking to the failure of the Toronto Public Library and their choice to discriminate against the transgender community. [4]

  • 2021-Dec-08. Bill C-4: An Act to amend the Criminal Code passed into the law. This criminalized conversion therapy and was a large step forward in protecting LGBTQ+ youth. [4]

    References

    [1] City of Toronto (2017). Long-Term Care Homes & Services. LGBT Tool Kit

    [2] Rainbow Health Ontario (2021) health in focus: LGBT2SQ seniors. An evidence review and practical guide designed for healthcare providers and researchers

    [3] Canadian Queer History: The Pursuit of LGBT2Q+ Acceptance

    [4] Canadian Queer History: A Fight For LGBTQ+ Rights In Canada. Canada has a long history of LGBTQ+ rebellion and resistance in the fight for the queer liberation LGBTQ+ Canadians have in 2023

Additional reading