January 14–15 Toronto On January 14, […]

When

1978-01-14 – 1978-01-15

Description

January 14–15 Toronto On January 14, more than 1,000 people attended a rally at St. Lawrence Market and marched in the freezing cold to protest Anita Bryant's visit to Toronto. To date, this was the largest gay rights demonstration in Toronto's history. The coalition that formed to protest Bryant and her Save Our Children campaign was the most broadly based, politically diverse collection of lesbian, gay, and feminist groups seen in Toronto to that time. This coalition sparked the interest of the RCMP, which conducted undercover surveillance of the anti-Bryant protests in Toronto. The rally itself was hosted by Pat Murphy of WAVAW. Twelve speakers representing a wide range of community groups addressed the rally; there were also three women singers and three skits. A march up Yonge Street followed, which was the largest and loudest gay demonstration in Toronto's history to that time. On January 15, Anita Bryant spoke at the People's Church in North York, while five hundred anti-Bryant demonstrators protested across the street. At the end of the service, Rev. Paul Smith of the People's Church was hit with a lavender cream pie, thrown by a protester. This was the first stop on Bryant's Christian Liberation Crusade, sponsored by Rev. Ken Campbell and the fundamentalist Christian group Renaissance International. Campbell announced plans for further Bryant rallies in major Canadian cities, to be held over the next six months. At the same time as Bryant's appearance at the People's Church, an inter-denominational service in support of gay rights was held at MCC Toronto, organized by Rev. Brent Hawkes. Among those present were Rabbi Mark Shapiro of Holy Blossom Temple; Rev. Bruce McLeod, past moderator of The United Church of Canada; a Roman Catholic priest; and an official representative of the Anglican church.

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