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First Gay RIghts Organization
1924
The Society for Human Rights in Chicago becomes the worlds earliest known gay rights organization. -
stone wall riots
June 28, 1969
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 (US) -
Canadian stonewall inn
1981 February 5
More than 300 men are arrested following police raids at four gay bath houses in Toronto, the largest mass arrest since the War Measures Act was invoked during the October Crisis. The next night, about 3,000 people march in downtown Toronto to protest the arrests. This is considered to be Canada's Stonewall. (See world timeline for the 1969 "Stonewall Riots" in the U.S.) -
Country lifets gay military ban
1992 November
The federal court lifts the country's ban on homosexuals in the military, allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the armed forces. -
BIll 108
1992 December 9
As promised, Justice Minister Kim Campbell introduces Bill C-108 which would add "sexual orientation" to the Canadian Human Rights Act. But the act, which would also restrict the definition of "marital status" to opposite-sex couples, doesn't pass first reading. On June 3, 1993, the Senate passes Bill S-15, another attempt at adding "sexual orientation" to the Canadian Human Rights Act, but the bill doesn't make it to the House of Commons because Parliament is dissolved for the -
No Different
In a decisive 8-1 judgment, the Supreme Court of Canada says that gay couples are no different than heterosexual couples in their ability to share loving unions and suffer relationship breakdowns. The landmark decision upholds lower court rulings that found the definition of spouse as a “man and woman” under Ontario’s Family Law Act was unconstitutional. -
Same sex couples get same benifets as opposite sex couples
1999 May
The Supreme Court of Canada rules same-sex couples should have the same benefits and obligations as opposite-sex common-law couples and equal access to benefits from social programs to which they contribute. -
Bill C-23
In response to the Supreme Court decision, the Liberal government introduces Bill C-23, which guarantees a host of rights and benefits for gay partners, including child-care tax benefits, pension benefits for widowed spouses, tax breaks on retirement savings plans, even conjugal prison visits. -
Census
For the first time, Statistics Canada includes a question about same-sex relationships in the census. The results, released in October 2002, show 34,200 common-law couples identified themselves as gay or lesbian, representing 0.5 per cent of all couples. -
A marriage
Rev. Hawkes wears a bullet-proof vest as he marries the two gay couples before a cheering church congregation of more than 600 people. A woman who claims to be a messenger from Jesus disrupts the service and pushes Rev. Hawkes. She is arrested and charged with assault. The City of Toronto refuses to register the marriages. The couples, the church and six other couples launch a lawsuit. Five years later, Rev. Hawkes will marry his own long-term partner. -
fourth country
With a 158-133 vote, Bill C-38 passes final reading after months of debate and acrimony. Upon Senate approval, Canada becomes the fourth country in the world to officially recognize same sex-marriage following Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. The law receives royal assent in July. -
First LGBTradio station
April 16: 103.9 Proud FM, Canada's first LGBT radio station and the first in the world operated by a commercial broadcaster rather than a community non-profit group, is launched in Toronto. -
BIll C-279
March 20 - The House of Commons passes Bill C-279, a private member's bill sponsored by Randall Garrison, which officially extends human rights protections to transgender and transsexual people in Canada.[93] The bill passes with virtually unanimous support on the opposition benches, as well as 18 members of the governing Conservative Party caucus, although the majority of Conservatives are opposed.[93]
