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	Chronology from Flaunting It! 1964-1982
	1976 / Appx 800 words

Victories and defeats
A gay and lesbian chronology 1964-1982
1976

January [30] / Saskatoon

Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench rules that term "sex" in Saskatchewan Human Rights Act does not include sexual orientation. Legal action came as a result of Doug Wilson job discrimination case (see September, 1975). Wilson decides to abandon pursuit of legal redress.

January 12 / Vancouver

British Columbia Board of Inquiry rules in Gay Tide - Vancouver Sun case that British Columbia human rights code provides protection for homosexuals.

January 23 / Montreal

Club Baths of Montreal raided. Thirteen people arrested as found-ins in a common bawdyhouse.
["Olympic Crackdown," TBP, Aug 1976, reported 34 arrests in this raid.]

Spring / Halifax

CBC Radio refuses to air a public service announcement from Gay Alliance for Equality for a Gayline and counselling service.

April 5 / Ottawa

City council passes motion to prohibit discrimination in municipal hiring on basis of sexual orientation. Second city in Canada to do so.

April 21 / Saskatoon

Board of Governors of University of Saskatchewan overturns recommendation of University Council that homosexuality should not be considered in selection of dons of residence. It accepts that sexual orientation not be a factor in treatment of faculty or students in faculty positions. Decision result of Doug Wilson case (see September, 1975).

May 6 / Toronto

Two MPPs [members of Ontario provincial parliament] -- Margaret Campbell (Liberal - St George [downtown Toronto]) and Ted Bounsell (NDP - Windsor) -- introduce private members' bills to amend Ontario Human Rights Code to include sexual orientation. Bills are defeated.

May 14 / Montreal

Police raid Neptune Sauna and arrest nineteen men, charging them with being found-ins in common bawdyhouse.
[TBP, Aug 1976, reported 89 men charged in this raid. It also noted five more raids on gay clubs, May 13-15: the Taureau d'Or, Studio One, the Stork Club, the Crystal Baths, and Jilly's, a lesbian bar.]

May 22 / Montreal [sic]

Police raid Club Baths and charge twenty-seven men with being found-ins in a common bawdyhouse.
[This raid was actually made on the Club Baths in Ottawa, but was seen to be connected with (and reported in TBP, Aug 1976, as part of) the Montreal Olympic crackdown. Montreal's Club Baths had been raided for a second time on May 20, 1976, with 26 arrests.]

June 11-13 / Kingston, Ontario

NDP convention calls for inclusion of sexual orientation in human rights codes. First time a major political party accepts gay movement demand.

June 17 / Toronto

Coalition for Gay Rights in Ontario presents brief The Homosexual Minority in Ontario to the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

June 19 / Montreal

Largest gay demonstration in Canada to date organized by Comité homosexuel anti- répression / Gay Coalition Against Repression to protest pre-Olympic "clean-up" raids on gay bars and baths.
[TBP, Aug 1976, reported 300 people at the Jun 19 demo.]

June 24 / Montreal

Gay activist Stuart Russell, along with four others, fired from COJO (Olympic organizing committee) for political activity and sexual orientation.

Summer / Toronto

The Body Politic receives $1,500 grant from Ontario Arts Council, the first of three such grants.

August / Vancouver

BC Supreme Court dismisses appeal of Vancouver Sun against pro-GATE decision of human rights commission's board of inquiry.

September 4-6 / Toronto

Fourth Annual Gay Conference for Canada and Quebec. Includes a rally and march.
[Conference had recognized distinctiveness of gay movement in Quebec.]

September 17 / Toronto

Brian Mossop, gay activist, expelled from Communist Party of Canada for being openly gay and advocating homosexuality.

Autumn / Ottawa

A former manager of Club Baths Ottawa, pleads guilty to keeping a common bawdyhouse and is fined $500; three others plead guilty to being inmates and are fined $100 each.

October 9-11 / Ottawa

National Lesbian Conference hosted by Lesbian Organization of Ottawa.

October 30 / Montreal

Formation of first gay civil rights group in Quebec, Association pour les droits de la communauté gaie du Québec (ADGQ).

November 7 / Toronto

Founding of the Lesbian Organization of Toronto (LOOT), with first priority the setting up of lesbian centre.
[A review of Becki Ross's history of LOOT, The House that Jill Built, is on this site.]

December / Vancouver

Canadian University Press approves national boycott of CBC for refusing to air public service announcement for Halifax gay group.
[See Spring 1976, above.]