Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada

The Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada (LGLC) project brings together accounts of over 34,000 events, people, and places that shaped the creation of gay political consciousness in Canada, spanning from the formation of the first homophile group in 1964 to the start of the AIDS crisis in 1981. Explore the movement, its politics, its victories, and its challenges through the LGLC database and contextual essays.

The LGLC project documents in particular the rise of the lesbian and gay liberation movement in Canada. Activists in this movement took a militant, radical, and unapologetically visible stance, challenging heterosexual norms and compulsory nuclear family structures.

The LGLC project team stands in solidarity with the entire LGBTQ2+ community and the continued fight for liberation.

"As the movement and the size of the demonstrations increase over a period of time, it will become clear that we are not a tiny isolated minority" — Brian Waite, The Body Politic No 3. 1972, 4.

Loot marchers on College Street Toronto. Image courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives

Image: Loot marchers on College Street Toronto. Image courtesy of The ArQuives.



Lesbian and Gay Liberation in Canada is supported by the Humanities Data Lab at the University of Ottawa, the Toronto Metropolitan University Centre for Digital Humanities, the Toronto Metropolitan University Libraries, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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Please visit our About page for a full list of the people responsible for LGLC.

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