LGBTQ+ Pride will be making its way to several major Canadian cities in August, including Montreal, Quebec and Sherbrooke. Members of the LGBTQ+ communities and allies alike will be able to attend community and cultural events to celebrate the journey toward equal rights. Here are some landmark dates in the LGBTQ+ journey in Quebec and Canada since 1969.
1969 – Same-sex relationships are decriminalized
The Quiet Revolution was a major catalyst for change in Quebec society. 1969 was a particularly important year for the LGBTQ+ community. In Canada, the government of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau passed Bill C-150, decriminalizing sexual relations between consenting same-sex partners aged 21 and over.
This amendment to the Criminal Code marks a turning point, ending over a hundred years of prohibition and severe sentences.
1977 – Discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited
The Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms came into effect in 1976. A year later, discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation became illegal with regard to work and housing, among other areas.
2002 – Quebec recognizes civil unions and extends adoption rules
The new millennium brought major changes for LGBTQ+ families. Quebec recognized civil unions, allowing same-sex couples to enter a legal relationship and enjoy the same benefits as married couples. Adoption rules were also changed to allow anyone, whether single, married, in a civil union, or in a common-law relationship (or “de facto union”), to adopt children regardless of their sexual orientation.
2005 – Same-sex marriages become legal
Two men named Michael Hendricks and René LeBoeuf made headlines. At the time, same-sex marriage was illegal. The couple argued that this rule was discriminatory. In this case, the couple’s lawyer, Anne-France Goldwater, famously said: “I see married people who hate each other walk by my office. For once, I’m working for two people who love each other”.
After 31 years together, the couple married on April 1, 2004. The following year, the Canadian government amended its Marriage Act, becoming the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.
2017 – More protections for trans persons
Changes were made to the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect trans people against hate propaganda and public incitement of hatred.
2022 – Conversion therapy becomes a crime
Practising, advertising or promoting conversion therapy is a crime in Canada. These practices aim to try to change an LGBTQ+ person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, amongst other things. Conversion therapy can take many forms. For example, it can be presented as a medical treatment, psychological service, or a spiritual or religious practice. This means that it can happen in different settings, including the health care system, religious communities, or even self-help groups.