Selected Canadian LGBTTIAQQ Landmarks

1969 Homosexuality is no longer a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada.

1976 Homosexuals are no longer barred as immigrants to Canada under the Immigration Act.

1977 Quebec becomes the first jurisdiction in Canada to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

1992 The Ontario court of Appeal “reads in” sexual orientation into the Canadian Human Rights Act, upholding a Charter challenge by Graham Haig and Joshua Birch.

1992 Michelle Douglas wins her lawsuit against the Canadian Armed Forces, which changes its policy of not hiring and promoting gays and lesbians.

1994 Immigration policy allows in certain circumstances people to sponsor same-sex partners.

1995 The Supreme Court of Canada, in Egan and Nesbit, confirms that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

1996 A Human Rights Tribunal rules in Akerstrom and Moore that the Federal Government must extend employee medical and dental benefits to cover same-sex partners.

1996 Parliament amends the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination.

2000 Tim Stevenson is appointed to the Legislative Council of British Columbia, becoming Canada’s first openly gay cabinet minister.

2003 The Court of Appeal for Ontario rules in Halpern v. Canada that the common law definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman violates section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The decision immediately legalizes same-sex marriage in Ontario, and sets a legal precedent — over the next two years, similar court decisions legalize same-sex marriage in seven provinces and one territory before the federal Civil Marriage Act is passed in 2005.

2007 103.9 Proud FM, Canada’s first LGBTTIAQQ radio station and the first in the world operated by a commercial broadcaster rather than a community non-profit group, is launched in Toronto.

Vancouver’s LGBT History

This video showcases a history timeline of Vancouver’s lesbian, gay, transgendered and bisexual community development and commemorates the 35th anniversary of Stonewall. Directed and produced by Thomas Donovan

Part 1

Part 2