August 20–22 Toronto Seven activists […]

Graph

When

1979-08-20 – 1979-08-22

Description

August 20–22 Toronto Seven activists (Don Barlow, Clarence Barnes, Harvey Hamburg, Ken Hancock, John Alan Lee, Jim McNeil, and Mark Whitehead) staged a "Gay Sit-in for Justice," held in an eighteenth-floor waiting room at the offices of Ontario Attorney General Roy McMurtry, 18 King Street East. Additional gay supporters unfurled a banner on the street and handed out leaflets to explain the action. The sit-in demonstrators demanded to meet with McMurtry, who had refused to meet with any gay representatives for two months, to discuss ongoing police and judicial harassment of the gay community. Although their demands were not met, the protestors did meet with two of McMurtry's aides, and McMurtry did write to the RTPC's chairperson Rev. Brent Hawkes. On August 31, 1979, Attorney General McMurtry agreed to meet to hear concerns of the gay community that were not related to cases already before the courts.

All Places

Roy McMurtry's Office (King St E)Toronto

All People

Brent Hawkes Roy McMurtry Mark Whitehead Jim McNeil John Lee Ken Hancock Harvey Hamburg Clarence Barnes Don Barlow

All Organizations

December 9th Defence Fund, Right to Privacy Committee (RTPC)

All Citations

David Oved, "Sit-in Reaches Stalemate: Homosexual Protest," Toronto Sun, 22 August 1979, p. 50.David Oved, "McMurtry Target of Homosexual Protest," Toronto Sun, 21 August 1979, p. 17 Derek Nelson, "Homosexuals and Rights" (column), Brampton Daily Times, 31 August 1979 Claire Hoy, "Homosexuals Harassed? Nonsense!" Toronto Sun, 22 August 1979, p. 14 "Homosexuals Try McMurtry Sit-in," Toronto Star, four star ed., 21 August 1979, p. A19 Gerald Hannon, "Gay 'Sit-in for Justice' Demands McMurtry End Police Harassment," Body Politic, no. 56 (1979), p. 9 Gerald Hannon, "Attorney General Grants Meeting, Sit-in Forces McMurtry Turnabout," Body Politic, no. 57 (1979), pp. 12–13 "The Dilemma of Deadlines" (editorial), Body Politic, no. 56 (1979), p. 3

Graph Legend

Mark Whitehead

Names

Biography

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