February 7 Toronto John Damien was […]

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1975-02-07

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February 7 Toronto John Damien was officially fired by the Ontario Racing Commission because he was gay. The Commission was an independent agency of the Ontario government. Damien had worked in racing for twenty years and had been employed by the Commission for five years. At the time of his dismissal Damien held the position of Commission Racing Steward, one of three top racing judges in Ontario. On February 14 GATE (Toronto) began to campaign for Damien's reinstatement, as well as for the formation of a commission of enquiry into his firing and into the status of gay people working in positions under Ontario government jurisdiction. The Committee to Defend John Damien was established February 22, with Christine Bearchell as chairperson. The Damien case was to become one of the most prominent gay civil rights cases in Canadian history. After much legal wrangling the case remained partially unresolved when Damien died in Windsor of pancreatic cancer on December 24,1986. His suit for wrongful dismissal against the Ontario Racing Commission was settled in 1986; Damien received a year's wages plus interest, about $50,000. A second suit, for loss of income, had been placed against the estate of Thoreau Willard O'Mulvenny, a Fort Erie racetrack doctor who had informed the Ontario Jockey Club in 1974 that Damien was a homosexual. The case had not yet been heard when Damien died. (see also February 22, March 14, 21, May 6, 10, 11, 13, 24-25, June 24, June 28-July 1, August 31, September, September 13, October, October 23, 24, 30, and December 5,1975.)

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February 22 Waterloo, Ont. The […]March 14 Toronto During question […]March 21 Toronto John Damien, fired […]May 6 Ontario The Ontario […]May 8 Toronto Members of GATE […]May 10 Montréal; Toronto Lesbians […]May 13 Toronto GO had complained to […]May 18-19 Edmonton Thirty-five […]June 18 Regina Peter Millard of the […]June 28 Pointe-aux-Trembles, Qué. […]August 22-23 Montréal A large […]September Toronto A chapter of the […]September Toronto The University of […]October Toronto A Symposium on […]October 22 Toronto In response to […]October 23 Toronto The Committee to […]October 30 Montréal Gilles Carle's […]December 5 Toronto The Ontario Human […]

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Toronto

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John Damien Chris Bearchell Thoreau Willard O'Mulvenny

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Ontario Racing Commission Gay Alliance toward Equality GATE Committee to Defend John Damien

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John Wilson papers, 91-048, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto."The Will to Win: John Damien," Esprit 1 (October 1975): 25-26, 29;"This Man, John Damien," Metro Community News 2 (24 October 1975): 1, 3-5;"Re-instate John Damien" (editorial). Gay Tide 1 (June 1975): 2;"Province-Wide Campaign Demands Government Uphold Gay Rights, Rehire John Damien," Gay Rising 1 (March 1975): 1-2;Ken Popert, "Obituary: John Damien: Spunky Racing Steward Who Defied Discrimination Succumbs to Cancer," Body Politic, no. 135 (1987), p. 15;Christine Bearchell, "Damien Case: Minister Interferes, Government Agencies Collaborate," Body Politic, no. 24 (1976), pp. 6-7;Christine Bearchell (interviewing John Damien), " 'Fired Because I'm a Homosexual': John Damien Interviewed," Labor Challenge, 17 November 1975, p. 4;Christine Bearchell papers, 83-016, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;" 'Because He's a Homosexual' " (editorial). Body Politic, no. 17 (1975), p. 1;Christie Blatchford, untitled column. Globe and Mail, metro ed., 16 December 1975, p. 36;John Bodis, "Kopyto: A Person Is Defined by His Total Humanity, Not His Sexuality," Metro Community News 3 (2 January 1976): 4-5, 11;Committee to Defend John Damien papers, 82-026, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;John Damien, "I'm Determined to Win" (interview). Body Politic, no. 18 (1975), pp. 12-13;" John Damien " vertical file, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;"Defend John Damien," Gay Times 1 (April 1975): 2;"Defend John Damien," GO Info 2 (March 1975): 1, 5;"Discrimination: The Human Cost. Case I," Body Politic, no. 70 (1981), p. 13;Trent Frayne, "Damien vs. Commission," Toronto Sun, final ed., 18 February 1975, p. 27;"Gay Fights Firing," Gay Tide 2 (March 1975): 1, 5;Mary Gooderham, "Legal Fight Will Survive Ex-jockey Dismissed for Being Homosexual," Globe and Mail, metro ed., 1 January 1987, p. A10;Peter Hadekel, " 'Discrimination' ": Fired for Being a Homosexual, Man Fights Back With $ Million Suit," Ottawa Journal, 30 June 1975, p. 24;"He'll Claim Sex Bias," Toronto Sun, 16 February 1975, p. 4;John Hofsess, "Damien's Exile: What John Damien Represents and Defends Is Not Homosexuality But Human Dignity," Weekend Magazine, 21 February 1976, pp. 14-17,19;"Injustice at the Track" (editorial). Globe and Mail, metro ed., 17 February 1975, p. 6;"John Damien a besoin d'argent pour se défendre devant la justice," Gay Montréal 1 (16 November 1976): 6-7;Ron Lowman, "Homosexual Loses Track Job, Claims Discrimination," Toronto Star, Saturday ed., 15 February 1975, p. A2;Michael Lynch, "Doctor Leaked Medical Info, Damien Charges," Body Politic, no. 49 (1978-79), p. 9;Lawrence Martin, "Racing Chairman Confirms Steward Fired as Homosexual," Globe and Mail, metro ed., 15 February 1975, pp. 1-2;Tim McCaskell, "Ontario: John Damien: One Year Later," Body Politic, no. 23 (1976), p. 5;Terry Phillips papers, 82-010, Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, Toronto;

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