Laws were also amended to allow same-sex couples the same freedoms and benefits as common-law spouses. The Charter was then changed to guaranteed equal rights and protections.
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Customers were verbally assaulted, beaten, and arrested. Police raided this after-hours establishment and forced 400 patrons to evacuate, only to bar them from leaving with an overwhelming police presence.
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A crowd of about a hundred men and women marched in support of a 13-page document entitled “We Demand”. Two years later, in 1971, the first round of protests took place in Ottawa and Vancouver. While this was a giant leap forward for the Canadian members of the LGBTQIA+, there was still a long way to go.
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One day before the first brick was thrown at Stonewall on May 14, 1969, Canada decriminalized homosexual acts between adults. So, what was the spark to the rainbow-coloured flame of today’s modern gay rights movement? Across North America, two independent yet equally spirited events that paved the way: the Stonewall Riots and Canada’s decriminalization of homosexual acts. Read on to find out about LGBTQIA+ heritage! The History Of Gay Pride And The Gay Rights Movementīefore the colourful identities of the LGBTQ community (that’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer for the uninitiated) blossomed into what it is today, pride celebrations were often sparsely attended gatherings met with protest around the world. Stonewall, the Toronto Raids, and the important events that followed. Here we discuss Pride Month's origins, including the U.S. In 2021, we’re used to dazzling displays of rainbow flags and pride events littering the entire month of June, but it wasn’t always like that for our queer brothers, sisters, and gender-neutral siblings. Gay Pride Month is coming up in the United States and across the world, and that means it’s the perfect time to look back on all the LGBTQIA+ folks who protest walked so we could run.