Pride Season

Pride Season is a term that refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when 2SLGBTQI+ communities and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Although special attention is put on the Pride events during the summer months, they happen throughout the year in many communities.

Historically, Pride gatherings emerged from the first large-scale protests for 2SLGBTQI+ rights. In Canada, the first demonstrations took place in Ottawa and Vancouver in 1971. By 1973, Pride events were held in several Canadian cities, including Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Toronto's Pride weekend in June is now among the largest Pride events in North America.

Happy Pride Season!

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Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ rights for over 50 years

Transcript of the Pride Season Animated Timeline: Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ rights for over 50 years

Video length: 2:49 minutes

Over 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada. This timeline provides a few notable event over decades of change. It is by no means a comprehensive list of LGBTQ2 history in Canada.

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1969. The Government of Canada decriminalized private sexual acts between two people over the age of 21 – a breakthrough in the movement towards treating gay men, lesbians and bisexuals equally under the law.

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1971. The “We Demand” Rally was the first large scale demonstration for LGBTQ2 rights in Canada with protests in Ottawa and Vancouver. Photo credit: Jearld F. Moldenhauer

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1973. Pride gatherings were held in several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg. Photo credit: Jearld F. Moldenhauer

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1977. Quebec became the first jurisdiction in Canada to amend its provincial charter of human rights to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination.

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[Animations of Operation Soap: The police raids that targeted Toronto’s queer community appear. Images of protestors, police officers rummaging through lockers and police officers arresting civilians. A text box appears]

1981. Four bathhouses in Toronto are raided by the Toronto Police in Operation Soap. The event is considered one of the crucial turning points in Canadian LGBTQ2 history. Photo credits: Operation Soap: The police raids that targeted Toronto’s queer community in the 1980s. Youtube – Historica Canada

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1996. Sexual orientation is added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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2000. Parliament passes Bill C-23 which gives same-sex couples the same social tax benefits as heterosexuals in common-law relationships. Photo credits: Mondays with Mac Photography

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2005. The enactment of the Civil Marriage Act marked a milestone in sexual orientation equality rights, by allowing same-sex couples to be married anywhere in Canada.

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2009. The first Trans March in Canada is organized during Toronto Pride.

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2017. Gender expression and gender identity are added to the Canadian Human Rights Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a historic apology to individuals harmed by federal legislation, policies and practices that led to the oppression of and discrimination against LGBTQ2 people in Canada.

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2018. In December 2018, Status of Women Canada became Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) with an expanded mandate that includes the advancement of equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

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2018. Bill C-66 passed unanimously in the House of Commons and in the Senate. Records of convictions involving consensual sexual activity between same-sex partners of legal age can now be destroyed.

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[A black and white photo of Gemma Hickey appears. A photo of a mother and daughter appear. Two text boxes appears.]

2019. Gemma Hickey becomes one of the first Canadians to receive a gender-neutral birth certificate and passport. The Government of Canada made a historic $20 million investment to support LGBTQ2 capacity-building projects from coast to coast to coast. Photo credit: Twitter @justbegemma

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2020-2021. Launch of the public engagement process for developing the first-ever federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan.

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Over 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada. This timeline provides a few notable event over decades of change. It is by no means a comprehensive list of LGBTQ2 history in Canada. Striped band displaying the colours of the Progress Flag. Music stops. The Canada wordmark appears, which has a waving Canadian flag above the last “a” in the word “Canada”.

Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan

Transcript of the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan

November 2017

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a formal, historic apology on behalf of Canada for discrimination against LGBTQ2 people in our country.

This is a catalyst for progress.

This apology is rapidly followed by the adoption of legal protection for gender identity and gender expression under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

That same year, the Government of Canada creates the LGBTQ2 Secretariat. The Secretariat helps keep the government informed on issues that are important to communities. It also helps integrate related considerations into the everyday work of the Government of Canada.

In 2018, a new law is passed to make sure that those convicted of crimes unfairly—including LGBTQ2 people—would be able to have their convictions removed from the record.

In 2019, the Government of Canada creates the first federal program dedicated to LGBTQ2 communities and organizations, advancing rights and equality.

At the start of 2022, conversion therapy is criminalized in Canada.

August 2022

We’re continuing to build on this progress, working together with communities to strive towards a more equal and inclusive Canada.

To that end, we’re thrilled to present:

Canada’s first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan… Building Our Future, with Pride.

The Federal Action Plan is a guided approach to improve 2SLGBTQI+ equity in collaboration with federal departments and agencies.

So, what’s in the Plan?

The Plan focuses on six priority areas:

  • Prioritize and sustain community action
  • Continue to advance and strengthen rights at home and abroad
  • Support Indigenous resilience and resurgence
  • Engage everyone in Canada in fostering an inclusive future
  • Strengthen data- and evidence-based policy-making
  • Embed community issues into the work of the Government of Canada

And so much more.

Based on the largest public consultation with 2SLGBTQI+ communities in Canadian history, the Action Plan is a guide that will inspire and inform Canada’s actions towards equality for years to come.

Learn more about our Action Plan at Canada.ca/federal-2SLGBTQI-plus-action-plan

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