OTTAWA – Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s expressed intention to review past cases where gay men were convicted of “gross indecency” Egale Canada Human Rights Trust is releasing its Just Society Committee report, reviewing Canada’s criminal justice system and providing recommendations on provisions to the Criminal Code that have a discriminatory effect on LGBTQ2SI Canadians.

The committee asks Prime Minister Trudeau to implement a three stage course of action, to acknowledge the Report’s recommendations by Pride Day on July 3rd with proposed facilitator Frank Iacobucci to identify immediate possible recompenses that could be made to past victims, and to pursue a 12 month plan to rectify LGBTG2SI discriminations embedded within the Criminal Code. There are many different groups affected by discrimination in the Criminal Code, so community consultation is intended to be held at the highest level of importance during this process.

Egale Executive Director Helen Kennedy and constitutional lawyer Douglas Elliott are releasing the report, expressing the critical need for this review. Others directly affected by these persecutions are present to support Kennedy and Elliott in their call for action. Countless Canadians suffered criminal persecution, job-loss, ineligibility for pension, and dishonorable discharge from the military under “gross indecency” charges before homosexual acts were decriminalized in the late 1960s. The Egale Just Society Committee seeks to prevent further injustice from taking place due to human rights infractions against LGBTQ2SI that are inherent within the Canadian Criminal Code.

 

 

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For more information, please contact:

Douglas Elliott, Constitutional Lawyer, 416-271-3052

Helen Kennedy, Executive Director, Egale, 416-270-1999

RECENT PRESS

John Ibbitson, “Egale Calls for Trudeau Apology for Historic Mistreatment of LGBT Community” (10 June 2016) Globe & Mail,

Nikki Wiart “Everett Klippert: An Unlikely Pioneer of gay rights in Canada”  (10 June 2016) Maclean’s. 

Nikki Wiart, “Egale’s Helen Kennedy on Canada’s homophobic, transphobic attack” (13 June 2016) Maclean’s, 

Dylan C. Robertson, “Groups pressure Canadian feds for official apology” (13 June 2016) Xtra, 

Amanda Connolly “Equal justice: Orlando proves need for Criminal Code changes, says activist” (13 June 2016) iPolitics.ca

John Ibbitson, Canada can help heal LGBT community by correcting mistakes of the past,” (14 June 2016)  Globe & Mail

Douglas Quan “We are all targets, activists say” (14 June 2016) National Post.

Michael Motala, “Restoration of queer dignity: toward a more just society” (17 May 2016) Canadian Bar Association National Magazine