The Equality Loonie?

 

 

 On Tuesday a new loonie, Canada's dollar coin was unveiled by the Roval Canadian Mint. It has been dubbed the Equality/Egalite Loonie, or the LGBTQ2 Loonie, because it commemorates the 50th anniversary of an amendment to the criminal code to decriminalize homosexuality. Prime Minister Trudeau (that would be Trudeau the 1st) famously said “I think the view we take here is that there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” a phrase he actually borrowed from a journalist.

There has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding this coin. Some argue that many were working for gay rights for years before 1969 and this anniversary seems arbitrary. Others note that the amendment didn't bring an end to discrimination in the civil service or elsewhere in society. In 1974 four lesbian women were evicted from the Brunswick Tavern, a working-class beer hall in Toronto, subsequently arrested, and three were later tried in Ontario Court for obstruction of justice.There were bathhouse raids in Toronto in 1981 during which police humiliated and arrested gay men. LGBTQ2 couples had no rights under Canadian law for many years.

 

Homosexuality was listed as a psychiatric disorder until the 1980s and while the United Church made significant decisions about accepting and including LGBTQ2 persons in the 1980s it was divisive and led to condemnation by other denominations. 

So, what would be the right date to choose? Probably none at all, yet this is a step toward acknowledging an important shift in societal attitudes which must continue. In the photo above I see MP the Rev. Rob Oliphant, a United Church minister. I've known Rob for nearly forty years and I realize that when he was ordained in the early 80s he was probably constrained in being open about his sexual orientation, fifteen years after the historic amendment. Rob spoke at the unveiling: 

"I was 13 years (old) when (Pierre) Trudeau issued those words and I was proud. It did not make me equal, but it gave me a fighting chance. I knew I was different, but just those words gave me a fighting chance and a sense I could have meaning. I wasn’t equal at that point and I’m not sure if I am yet equal, but this coin recognizes the journey. This coin is a small token of a huge effort that has happened and made Canada a better place.”

I also see former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is a United Church member. Wynne was the first openly gay premier of a Canadian province. 

What we can say is that this coin is tangible, it can be held up and recognized as one important moment in a journey toward justice and equality. 

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