1970s Timeline of LGBT history in Canada

1 1970s

1.1 1970
1.2 1971
1.3 1972
1.4 1973
1.5 1974
1.6 1975
1.7 1976
1.8 1977
1.9 1978
1.10 1979

1970s
1970

poet ian young launches catalyst press.
several of canada s noted gay liberation groups — including community homophile association of toronto, front de libération homosexuel in montreal, gay alliance toward equality in vancouver , gays of ottawa — launched.
november 11 - richard hatfield sworn in premier of new brunswick. although of open secret hatfield gay, never officially came out such, , after death in 1991 did biographers , journalists start discussing sexuality on record.

1971

august 28: demand, canada s first gay public protest, occurs in ottawa on parliament hill.
november 1: body politic begins publishing.

1972

a group led activist gens hellquist incorporates zodiac friendship society, first major lgbt group in saskatoon, saskatchewan. regina, winnipeg, , edmonton see formation of first lgbt organizations, local chapters of national gay alliance toward equality.
february - peter maloney, unsuccessful candidate in 1971 ontario provincial election , later prominent businessman in toronto s church , wellesley gay village, officially comes out gay @ liberal party of canada policy conference. later in year, becomes canada s first known openly gay political candidate, when runs seat on toronto board of education.
june 29 - demonstration held @ queen s park protest omission of sexual orientation package of proposed reforms ontario human rights code.
september 11 - maclean-hunter s cable community channel in toronto airs first episode of coming out, canada s first television series lgbt issues.
december - cameron frye, 1 of canada s earliest politicians come out gay (see december 1980), elected municipal council of tecumseh, ontario.

1973

august - canadian gay liberation movement archives launched.
august 17–26 - pride week 1973, national lgbt rights event, takes place simultaneously in several canadian cities.
october 6 - first national conference of lgbt organizations hosted in quebec city centre humanitaire d aide et de libération.
october 10 - following lobbying campaign gay alliance toward equality, toronto city council adopts policy forbidding discrimination on basis of sexual orientation in municipal hiring, making city first jurisdiction in canada so.

1974

both newfoundland , labrador (community homophile association of newfoundland) , new brunswick (gay friends of fredericton) see formation of first gay groups in respective provinces.
january 5: brunswick 4 arrested @ brunswick tavern in toronto. defended pro bono former federal cabinet minister judy lamarsh.
january 15 - rev. bob wolfe of metropolitan community church of toronto talks distraught young gay man out of committing suicide jumping off roof of toronto city hall s east tower. presented award toronto city council bravery on february 6, , uses acceptance speech criticize toronto star refusing print advertisement church; star prints ad following day.
february 11: in canada s first known same-sex marriage ceremony, winnipeg residents richard north , chris vogel married unitarian minister. become lead plaintiffs in vogel v. canada, case leads legalization of same-sex marriage in manitoba in 2004 — however, of 2015 vogel , north still fighting have province formally register marriage having taken place in 1974 instead of 2004. original 1974 marriage certificate on display @ canadian museum of human rights.
february 14 - university of toronto sociologist john alan lee comes out gay on tvontario s judy lamarsh show, becoming 1 of canada s first prominent professionals ever so.
november - vancouver chapter of gay alliance toward equality files complaint british columbia human rights commission against vancouver sun, after newspaper refuses print advertisement gay tide. become first gay rights case reach supreme court of canada.

1975

the collective responsible publication of body politic formally incorporates pink triangle press.
maurice richard, 1 of canada s first-ever out lgbt politicians, elected mayor of bécancour, quebec. contemporary biographical sources indicate came out gay sometime during term mayor, not clear year occurred in.
march 4 - ottawa sex scandal begins when eighteen gay men, owner , several customers of modelling agency , dating service, arrested , charged sexual offences. names released police , published press; @ least 1 of men, warren zufelt, commits suicide on march 18 because of outing.
april: aquarius bathhouse in montreal firebombed. perpetrators never found or arrested. 3 customers die in resulting fire; 2 of them buried in anonymous graves because bodies never identified or claimed families.
july 7 - gay caucus formed @ national convention of new democratic party, marking first lgbt-oriented committee within mainstream political party in canada.
september 22 - university of saskatchewan graduate student douglas wilson barred working teaching assistant because of participation in gay liberation movement.

1976

police crackdowns against gay bars in montreal s stanley street gay village, perceived mayor jean drapeau s attempts clean city in advance of 1976 summer olympics, lead riots.
april 5: ottawa city council passes motion prohibiting discrimination on basis of sexual orientation in municipal hiring, becoming second jurisdiction in canada so.
may 6: ontario mpps margaret campbell , ted bounsall introduce private members bills include sexual orientation in ontario human rights code, although both motions fail.
july: after 2 gay men arrested kissing in public @ corner of yonge , bloor streets in toronto, several gay activists stage kiss-in protest @ same corner.
october: lesbian organization of toronto formed.
december: openly gay ian maclennan candidate election ottawa board of education in 1976 municipal election.

1977

the canadian film outrageous!, starring drag queen craig russell, becomes 1 of first gay-themed films ever break out mainstream theatrical release.
march 14 - windsor, ontario becomes third city in canada pass motion banning discrimination against city employees on basis of sexual orientation.
may 9 - barbara thornborrow becomes first member of canadian forces challenge discharge military on grounds of sexuality.
june 2 - out of closets, lgbt-oriented television program, airs on skyline cable , ottawa cable community channels in ottawa. series produced gays of ottawa, subsequently launch french language edition on cable company in hull.
june 9: 2 openly gay candidates, therese faubert of league socialist action in brampton , frank lowery of ontario new democratic party in scarborough north, on ballot in 1977 ontario provincial election.
august: toronto residents learn of sexual assault , murder of boy emanuel jaques 3 men, resulting in media coverage unfairly paints entire gay community pedophiles.
september 20: television program gay news , views premieres. produced maclean-hunter s cable community channel, series airs on 3 of metro toronto s major cable providers: maclean-hunter, rogers , metro cable. after first episode rogers backs out of airing show on grounds of alleged complaints content, although due pressure lgbt community company reinstates program 3 weeks later.
october: 2 gay establishments in montreal, mystique , truxx, raided. protest organized next day attracts 2,000 participants. december, province of quebec becomes second jurisdiction in world, behind denmark, pass law banning discrimination on basis of sexual orientation.
november: body politic publishes gerald hannon s article men loving boys loving men , resulting in five-year legal battle on whether magazine guilty of publishing immoral, indecent or scurrilous material .

1978

buddies in bad times, canada s oldest surviving theatre company dedicated lgbt theatre, launched matt walsh, fabian boutilier, jerry ciccoritti, , sky gilbert.
may 18 - brent hawkes selected new pastor of metropolitan community church of toronto, succeeding bob wolfe.
may 26 - maclean-hunter s community channel cancels gay news , views.
june - gay activist dean haynes announces candidacy toronto city council in 1978 municipal election. later withdraws registration due lack of support.
august 9 - ckms-fm, radio station in kitchener-waterloo region of ontario, launches gay news , views, canada s first known lgbt-oriented radio program.
november 13 - jim monk, openly gay candidate election windsor board of education, loses election.

1979

may 10: in british columbia provincial election, robert douglas cook garners 126 votes in west vancouver-howe sound candidate of gay alliance toward equality.
august 20 - several gay activists stage sit-in protest in offices of roy mcmurtry, attorney general of ontario, demand meeting police , legal harassment of gay community.
summer - montreal , vancouver become first canadian cities host official pride march , festival.




^ gay politicians come out of closet , cabinet . globe , mail, november 13, 2009.
^ mckinnon, neil. first gay protest in canada . 7 july 2011. xtra!. retrieved 5 march 2012. 
^ historicist: sing body politic . torontoist, february 14, 2015.
^ saskatoon gay action: progress in prairie city . body politic, vol. 10 (1983).
^ maloney tells liberals of homosexuality . globe , mail, february 14, 1972.
^ homosexual plans run seat on school board . toronto star, july 25, 1972.
^ gay television series . body politic, vol. 6 (autumn 1972). p. 22.
^ hate mail clouds campaign in town promotes love . toronto star, november 2, 1980.
^ peters, rob. pride , prejudiced: history of gay, lesbian, bisexual , transgender milestones, in vancouver , around world . tyee, august 4, 2006. accessed on september 25, 2008.
^ city bars job discrimination , body politic, no. 10, 1973.
^ lawyer former cabinet member . advocate, march 13, 1974.
^ youth threatens city hall jump, fire chief, minister talk him down . globe , mail, january 16, 1974.
^ civic recognition forces newspaper print ad . body politic, vol. 12 (march/april 1974), p. 4.
^ chris vogel, richard north fight manitoba recognize 41-year same-sex marriage . cbc news, february 18, 2015.
^ proud life: activist , rebel john alan lee . xtra!, december 18, 2013.
^ montreal’s historic le 456 sauna closes after 33 years . gazette, november 23, 2011.
^ before pride, there kiss: toronto gay activists on 1976 protest . toronto star, june 27, 2015.
^ gay person running board of education . body politic, vol. 29 (december 1976/january 1977), p. 5.
^ gay tv series starts on cable . body politic, july 1, 1977.
^ rights of access — cable, fm , dailies: 1 foot in door, 2 doors in face . body politic, november 1, 1977.
^ gays gain despite tory triumph . body politic, vol. 35 (july/august 1977). p. 10.
^ tv series on air . body politic, october 1, 1977.
^ andrea zanin. village comes out: quick history . go-montreal.com. archived original on 2008-03-28. retrieved 2008-03-28. 
^ buddy system: theatre s little people high on sky . toronto star, february 5, 1988.
^ mcc conference names new toronto pastor . body politic, jun/jul78, issue 44, p8.
^ maclean-hunter cancels gay t.v. . body politic, june 1, 1978.
^ robin hardy, gay candidate drops campaign, sees role gay alderperson . body politic, issue 46, p. 6.
^ gays take air (waves, is). body politic, september 1, 1978.
^ gay candidate loses in school board race . body politic, vol. 49 (december 1978/january 1979), p. 12.