Programming included an art festival, a dance, picnic, a screening of a documentary and a rally for gay rights that occurred in all the participating cities. One day before the Stonewall Riots took place in New York.ġ971: In August, the first protests for gay rights took place in Ottawa and Vancouver, demanding an end to all forms of state discrimination against gays and lesbians.ġ973: Pride Week 1973 was a national LGBT rights event held in August 1973 in several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF PRIDE ACROSS CANADAġ969: On Canada decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults with the passage of the Criminal Law Amendment Act first introduced in December 1968. Our history is expansive and this is not, by any means, a comprehensive list.
It was not the only turning point in our history, so we present to you a brief timeline of notable events in the history of Pride in Canada. The most well known of these are the Toronto raids which lead to riots that turned into what is today, a vibrant pride festival.
Canada, however, has it’s own rich history and turning points in the struggle for and eventual celebration of LGBT rights. When asked about the history of pride, often the first thing that comes to people’s minds are the Stonewall Riots.