Top Court says Sex Clubs Legal - Morality of some should not be imposed on others
December 21, 2005
Today the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the cases of R. v. Labaye and R. v. Kouri that the provision of the Criminal Code prohibiting the operation of a "common bawdy-house" was not violated  Full Text

Harper Pledges No Notwithstanding on Equal Marriage
December 16, 2005
At last night’s leaders’ debate, Stephen Harper pledged he would never use the notwithstanding clause to take away the Charter right to equal marriage for same-sex couples.  Full Text | In French

Law Professors Say Re-Opening Marriage Issue Now Pointless
December 16, 2005
Constitutional experts reiterate that for Parliament to follow Stephen Harper’s plan to eliminate the right of same sex couples to marry would require the use the Charter’s notwithstanding clause. Now that Mr. Harper has ruled out...  Full Text

Court of Appeal Allows Exclusion of Trans Women
December 7, 2005
Three judges of the B.C. Court of Appeal today dismissed the appeal by Kimberly Nixon in the case of Nixon v. Vancouver Rape Relief Society. Ms. Nixon had been excluded from volunteering as a peer counselor at a women’s rape crisis centre...  Full Text

South Africa’s Highest Court Orders Equal Marriage
December 1, 2005
Today a nine-judge panel of the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that excluding same-sex couples from civil marriage is unconstitutional and that the definition of marriage in South Africa must be changed to include same-sex couples. The...  Full Text

Harper wants to Re-Open marriage debate
November 29, 2005
On this first day of the election campaign, Stephen Harper told reporters that he intends to re-open the issue of equal marriage for same-sex couples. He said that if elected Prime Minister he will introduce legislation to exclude same-sex couples from...  Full Text

Tribunal Issues Interim Ruling in SRS Case
November 11, 2005
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that Ontario must pay for sex reassignment surgery (SRS) for 3 of the 4 complainants in the Hogan case. The Tribunal found that the government should not have denied funding for those already enrolled in the...  Full Text

Egale opposes Boissoin’s fight against safe schools
October 29, 2005
Egale opposes Pastor Stephen Boissoin, former Executive Director of Concerned Christians Canada Inc., in leading what he describes as a “war” against making schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified (LGBT)...  Full Text

Final victory for bullied student sends message to schools across Canada
October 26, 2005
Yesterday the Supreme Court of Canada refused leave to appeal to the North Vancouver School Board in the human rights complaint brought by Azmi Jubran. That means the decision of the B.C. Court of Appeal siding with the harassed youth is final and...  Full Text

Egale mourns loss of George Hislop
October 11, 2005
George Hislop passed away at approximately 6 pm on Saturday, October 8, 2005, in Toronto. He was 78. George was a pioneer of the LGBT rights movement, and we at Egale salute him. He cleared the path that we follow today, a path that would have been...  Full Text

Censorship rears its ugly head again in Surrey, B.C.
September 23, 2005
This week the Surrey School Board cancelled a planned performance at Elgin Park Secondary School of The Laramie Project, a play about the 1998 hate motivated killing of Matthew Sheppard, a 21-year-old university student in Wyoming.  Full Text

Egale supports Celebrate Bisexuality Day on September 23rd
September 22, 2005
Egale Canada is pleased to announce that this Friday September 23rd is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. Held on the same date each year, Celebrate Bisexuality Day puts bisexuality on the map with its call to promote bi visibility and its invitation to...  Full Text

Egale Applauds Conviction of Trans Teen Killers
September 16, 2005
On September 13, 2005, two of the three men accused of killing Gwen Araujo were convicted of second degree murder. Gwen was a 17-year-old trans teenager who was brutally murdered in 2002. She was beaten severely - using fists, canned goods and a metal...  Full Text

Governor Schwarzenegger has “girlie-man” approach to equality says Canada’s leading LGBT advocacy group
September 8, 2005
Egale Canada, the country’s leading advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified (LGBT) people, is expressing high criticism of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision to veto equal marriage...  Full Text

Positive change at Thunder Bay school board
September 8, 2005
Gabriel Picard successfully settled his human rights complaint against the Lakehead District School Board after the Board agreed to take measures to make its schools safer for LGBT students, a move heralded by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and...  Full Text

Egale Statement regarding Recent Iran Executions
August 17, 2005
In Iran, two youths, Mahmoud Asgari (age eighteen) and Ayaz Marhoni (age nineteen), were put to death on July 19 after they were found guilty of sexually assaulting a thirteen-year-old boy some fourteen months earlier. One of the youths was seventeen...  Full Text

On International Youth Day, Egale launches Safe Schools Campaign
August 11, 2005
This Friday, August 12 is the United Nation’s International Youth Day. Egale Canada has chosen International Youth Day to officially launch its safe schools petition campaign (see petition below). Egale has circulated the petitions across the...  Full Text

Equal Marriage Bill Passes Final Hurdle
July 20, 2005
At 11:25 pm on Tuesday night, the Senate passed the equal marriage bill by an overwhelming 47 to 21, with 3 abstentions. What a night!! Today, Wednesday, the bill received Royal Assent was proclaimed into law. Same-sex couples will now be able to marry...  Full Text | In French

House of Commons Adopts Equal Marriage Bill by Decisive Margin
June 28, 2005
Just days before the Canada Day holiday, the House of Commons has voted for a fifth and final time to affirm equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in Canada, confirming once again our world-wide reputation as a country that is open, inclusive and...  Full Text | In French

Egale asks Canadians to Speak Out Against Homophobia
May 30, 2005
Egale Canada will mark the third annual National Day Against Homophobia by calling on cities and towns across Canada to officially recognize the event. Egale is also asking Canadians to commit themselves to ending discrimination against lesbian, gay,...  Full Text | In French

Egale Canada Supports Bill to Recognize Human Rights of Trans People
May 17, 2005
Egale Canada announced today it supports the introduction of a bill to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include “gender identity” and “gender expression” as protected grounds of discrimination. Private members bill C-392...  Full Text | In French

B.C. Court of Appeal Supports Bullied Student
April 21, 2005
Earlier this month, B.C.’s Court of Appeal sided with a harassed youth in ruling that school boards have a duty to make significant efforts to provide students with a “discrimination-free school environment.” The decision...  Full Text

Government Offers Little Defense for Cutting Funding for Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) at Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Hearing
April 20, 2005
Lawyers, lobby groups, unions, and transsexual and transgender people gathered today at Queen’s Park to urge the Liberal Government to restore funding for SRS. On October 1, 1998 the Provincial government removed funding for Sex Reassignment...  Full Text

Government Offers Little Defense for Cutting Funding for Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) at Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Hearing
April 19, 2005
On October 1, 1998 the Provincial government removed funding for Sex Reassignment Surgery without consultation with medical professionals or the transsexual community. On Tuesday, April 19, 2005 an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal Hearing concluded its...  Full Text

Time to Put Equality Back on Canada’s Agenda
April 14, 2005
On the 20th anniversary of section 15 of the Charter, equality rights groups are urging politicians and judges to renew their commitment to achieving equality in Canada.  Full Text | In French

Transsexual Woman Harassed Into Quitting
April 1, 2005
Lesley Morgan is a 48-year-old resident of Windsor, Ontario who resigned last week from her job at the Siemens VDO plant after what she describes as a “hate war” waged against her by an anonymous fellow worker.  Full Text

International Women’s Day Marks Women’s Achievements and Their Participation in Society
March 8, 2005
Egale Canada salutes the achievements of women in Canada on International Women’s Day but calls attention to the distance yet to go before all women are accepted in Canada and recognized in law.  Full Text

Egale Canada Calls for Inquiry into Crown Handling of Webster Case
February 10, 2005
As an act of solidarity with the Vancouver lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community following Tuesday’s release of the sentencing decision in the manslaughter trial of one of Aaron Webster’s killers, Egale is calling for an inquiry...  Full Text

Last-ditch Attempt to Stop Marriage Equality
January 19, 2005
Opponents of equality for lesbian and gay people are making a desperate last-ditch attempt to stop equality. When Parliament resumes in a few weeks, they know they face their last chance to roll back the clock on equal marriage. They know the vote in...  Full Text

Notice of Annual General Meeting and Board Elections
January 18, 2005
This year, Egale Canada’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Board of Directors elections will take place at 5 pm, on Saturday, March 19, 2005, at the GLHS building, 203-220 3rd Ave S, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Full Text | In French

Calgary Cleric’s Comments Reveal Larger Goal
January 15, 2005
Calgary Bishop Fred Henry’s call for governments to “proscribe or curtail” homosexuality is more worrisome evidence that many opponents of equal marriage want to defeat marriage legislation as a platform to pursue a...  Full Text | In French