Royal Canadian Mint Celebrates Gay Rights History With New Loonie
OTTAWA — A new commemorative loonie to be unveiled next week is sparking concern among academics and advocates who fear it could perpetuate myths about Canada's treatment of lesbian, gay, transgender, queer and two-spirited persons.
The Royal Canadian Mint says it is poised to unveil a one-dollar coin in Toronto as it joins government departments and agencies to mark "50 years of progress for LGBTQ2 Canadians."
In a statement, the mint says it takes great pride in celebrating Canada's culture, history and values, adding that 50 years ago, Parliament passed an act that "initiated the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada."
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York University historian Tom Hooper says legal reforms unveiled in 1969 did not amount to decriminalization.
Hooper notes that instead, charges for consensual gay sex among adults actually went up in the ensuing decades.
Helen Kennedy, executive director for the advocacy group Egale Canada, says the coin should be taken with the spirit with which it is intended and commemorate a "significant moment" in Canada history.
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