Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE) founded by Les McAfee, to advocate for increased rights and recognition and to combat discrimination.

Egan v. Canada: With Egale’s intervention, The Supreme Court of Canada found for the first time that human rights based on sexual orientation are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Thanks in part to Egale’s national advocacy efforts, Bill C-33 becomes law, amending to the Canadian Human Rights Act adding sexual orientation as a ground for discrimination.

Egale Canada Human Rights Trust is launched and becomes Canada’s national 2SLGBTQI charity.

Vriend’s case: Supreme Court decision requiring that all Canadian provinces and territories prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Name transitioned from EGALE acronym to Egale Canada to better reflect inclusivity.

With Egale’s help, Marc Hall wins rights to Jean-Paul Dumond to Oshawa Catholic High school prom.

With Egale’s intervention, the Ontario Court of Appeal finds the common law definition of marriage violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Michael Leshner and Michael Stark become the first married same sex couple in Canada.

Thanks in part to Egale’s national advocacy efforts, Civil Marriage Act receives royal assent, recognizing equal marriage across Canada.

Egale publishes findings of our first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Canadian secondary schools.

Egale Youth OUTReach, offering individual counselling, homelessness and suicide crisis services for 2SLGBTQI youth up to age 29.

Egale announces the creation of Egale Centre, Canada’s fi­rst dedicated 2SLGBTQI youth transitional housing service.

Egale’s Just Society Committee submits The Grossly Indecent Report to the Government of Canada requesting an apology and reparations for the criminal persecution, job loss, ineligibility for pension, and dishonourable discharge from the military following decriminalization in Canada.

Bill C-16 is passed, adding gender expression and gender identity as protected grounds to the Canadian Human Rights Act and also to the Criminal Code.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers an historic apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for years of state-sponsored, systemic oppression and rejection targeting LGBTQ2 public servants and military personnel.

Egale releases the IDENTITY Report following our inaugural national conference, IDENTITY: Canadian Perspectives on 2SLGBTQI Inclusion, to bring together the many perspectives on the state of inclusion for our community and chart a path forward together.

Egale launches Speak OUT, a national survey to understand the unique experiences of 2SLGBTQI youth with dating violence.

Egale launches Sex, Sin & 69 an 80-minute documentary that revisits the 1969 partial decriminalization of homosexuality, using contemporary queer voices to challenge common misconceptions and reframe dominant narratives about queer history in Canada.

Watch the film

Egale launches a brand refresh that more closely reflects our people and the communities we serve.

Egale places the “2S” for “Two Spirit” at the beginning of the “LGBTQI” acronym to acknowledge that Two Spirit, Indigiqueer and LGBTQI Indigenous People were the first sexual orientation and gender minority people in North America/Canada. While this is a small gesture, it is one of many ways that we at Egale strive to demonstrate solidarity with Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island.

Egale Canada and the National Institute on Ageing, launch The National Resource Centre on 2SLGBTQI Aging (NRCA) – first-of-its-kind digital resource centre that shares curated, cutting-edge research and resources about aging that address the unique needs of 2SLGBTQI older adults and their communities.

Learn more.

Egale Canada launches application for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to remove Fox News from the list of non-Canadian programming authorized for distribution in Canada due to Fox News’ false and horrifying claims about 2SLGBTQI people.

Learn more

Egale Canada takes legal action in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan to combat those province’s harmful school pronoun policies: Policy 713 (New Brunswick) and ‘Use of Preferred First Name and Pronouns by Students’ Policy (Saskatchewan).

In response to rising of Anti-2SLGBTQI hate throughout Canada, Egale Canada launches the Rainbow Action Hub – a one-stop-shop for the why and how to combat the rise of anti-2SLGBTQI hate in Canada. The hub includes resources, tools, education, and information aimed at 2SLGBTQI organizations, advocates and activists.

Learn more.

Egale Canada and Skipping Stone (represented by lawyers from Egale Canada and McCarthy Tétrault LLP) initiates legal action against the Government of Alberta, challenging the constitutionality of Bill 26 which denies medically-necessary care from being provided to gender diverse youth in the province.

Egale Canada and Skipping Stone (represented by lawyers from Egale Canada and McCarthy Tétrault LLP) have initiated litigation initiates legal action against the Government of Alberta, challenging the constitutionality of pronoun and name school restrictions contained in Education Amendment Act (formerly Bill 27).

In August 2025, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) granted Egale Canada special consultative status, strengthening our global advocacy and amplifying our voice on the international stage. This status enables Egale to participate in UN sessions and conferences and submit official statements to UN bodies in support of 2SLGBTQI communities and issues that matter most to them.