June 25 Québec, Qué. Justice […]

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When

1975-06-25

Description

June 25 Québec, Qué. Justice Minister Jérôme Choquette and Liberal members of the National Assembly's parliamentary Justice Committee, supported by the Créditistes, defeated a PQ amendment to Bill 50, the province's proposed Charter of Rights, that would have outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. Opposition members, particularly Robert Burns (PQ -Maisonneuve) and Jacques-Yvan Morin (PQ -Sauve), protested the move, declaring that an impressive number of religious, social, legal, and union organizations had supported the demands of the gay coalition fighting for the amendment. Choquette, however, stated that Quebec society was not yet ready for such legal sanctions for homosexuals. The Charter was adopted July 7,1975, without legal protection on the basis of sexual orientation, and came into effect June 28, 1976. The Charter was eventually amended to include sexual orientation on December 15, 1977, under a PQ government, when only two of the 110 members of the Assembly voted against the amendment. At that time Quebec became the first Canadian province and the largest political jurisdiction in North America to provide legal protection for homosexuals.

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Quebec City

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Jacques-Yvan Morin Robert Burns Jérôme Choquette

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Québec Ministry of Justice Parti Quebecois Créditiste Liberal Party of Canada

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Charter of Rights

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Yvon Thivierge, "Gais québécois pas protégés," GO Info 2 (July-August 1975): 5.Stuart Russell and Michael Lynch, "Quebec: Gay Rights: Oui! Quebec Adds 'Sexual Orientation' to Human Rights Charter in Precedent-Setting Move," Body Politic, no. 40 (1978), pp. 4-5;Bernard Racine, "Le caucus liberal aurait refusé d'inclure l'orientation sexuelle: Charte des libertés de la personne," Le droit, 7 July 1975, p. 20;"Quebec Total of Homosexuals Put at 300,000," Toronto Star, four star ed., 7 July 1975, p. A5;"Liberals Veto Gay Rights Bid," Montreal Gay Times 1 (August 1975): 3;"Liberals Reveal Narrow- Mindedness" (editorial), Montreal Gay Times 1 (August 1975): 4;Jacques Guay, "Le P.Q. tente en vain d'y inclure l'age et les tendances sexuelles: Charte des droits de l'homme," Le Jour, 16 June 1975, p. 4;Gilles Gariepy, "Choquette refuse de protéger les homosexuels contre la discrimination," La Presse, 26 June 1975, p. A6;"Editorial," Gay-Zette 1 (July 1975): 2;Ron Dayman, "Quebec: Five Years of the Movement," Body Politic, no. 29 (1976-77), p. 22;Gilbert Brunet, "Droits et libertds de la personne" (editorial), Le droit, 11 July 1975, p. 6;Frank Brayton, "Choquette Kills Gay Rights Amendment," Body Politic, no. 20 (1975), p. 6;

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Charter of Rights

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