It's Officially Pride Month— Here Are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Pride In Canada
100 people gathered in Ottawa for what was considered the first gay rights protest in Canadian history. Canada had just decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults two years earlier.People held picnics, dances, and film screenings.
This is considered the start of Pride celebrations in Canada!While it wasn't until 1981 that the city made it official— Vancouver now hosts one of the biggest annual Pride parades in Canada.Today, Montreal Pride is attended by millions and is now the one of the largest Pride celebrations in the francophone world.The police violence during these raids sparked mass protests and marches— which is why the Bathhouse Raids are often known as the Canadian equivalent to New York's Stonewall Riots.
Now, Dyke Marches are held across Canada as part of annual Pride festivities.“Two-Spirit” is a term used within some Indigenous communities which encompasses sexual, spiritual and gender identity.
Attributed to Elder Myra Laramee, it's a translation of the Anishinaabemowin term niizh manidoowag. You can check out more resources here!
