Looking back at the past 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada

This story is part of “Still Fighting”, a series exploring the past 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada.

This summer, Pride festivals around the globe, from Toronto to New York, will honour the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots — an uprising against police at a New York gay bar that is widely viewed as a pivotal moment in the history of LGBTQ2 rights.

Canadians will also mark a significant step in queer rights this summer: the 50th anniversary of sweeping amendments to the Criminal Code that reformed legal definitions of gay sex. There will be arts exhibits and film screenings and flag raisings. The Canadian Mint even released a gay loonie.

The events of 1969 were just a first step, however, in the past 50 years of advancing LGBTQ2 rights. Here are some of the major events in the last half-century of queer and trans activism.

This story is part of “Still Fighting”, a series exploring the past 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada.