Graph Legend
6 Events
2 Places
3 People
4 Orgs
10 Titles
June 6 Toronto An undercover Toronto […]
When
1979-06-06
Description
June 6 Toronto An undercover Toronto police officer charged teacher Don Franco with keeping a common bawdy house, for the purpose of the practice of acts of indecency, in his own home. The policeman had telephoned Franco to say that he was responding to an ad in the Body Politic. He was invited into Franco's home and discussed sexual acts with him. Franco was interested in sadomasochism, had a dungeon in his home, and advertised for partners regularly in the Body Politic. He had been one of the found-ins charged in the raid on the Barracks steam bath on December 9, 1978. When Sergeant Gary Donovan of the Police Intelligence Bureau later informed Franco's school board about the charges, Franco informed Rev. Brent Hawkes of MCC Toronto about what had happened and Hawkes made the matter public. Franco later became involved with the RTPC as membership secretary. The police raided Franco's home and confiscated various items, including membership lists of the RTPC and of the NDP Gay Caucus. The raid on Franco's home was widely condemned in the gay community, and was seen as an act of revenge on the part of the police. The case made legal history, as it was the first time in Canada that a private home had been charged as a bawdy house when there was neither prostitution nor sex with minors involved. (See also June 13, 1979; June 18, 1979; July 6, 1979; June 5, 1981; and September 24, 1981.)
