This story is part of “Still Fighting”, a series exploring the past 50 years of LGBTQ2 activism in Canada.

In Canada, the past 50 years have been marked with milestones, losses and gains — moments etched into our collective histories. I wasn’t around for many of them. Now 25, I wasn’t alive to see the pain and anguish of the AIDS crisis as it ravaged our communities. I wasn’t there when police raided bathhouses and bars across the country, beating patrons and threatening to out them, to ruin their careers and relationships and lives. I was only 10 when debates on same-sex marriage began on Parliament Hill, though I can recall watching TV news with my parents as protesters droned on about “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.”

Since 1969, when Criminal Code amendments reformed our definitions of gay sex in Canada and the Stonewall riots shook New York City, we’ve seen massive changes to the ways we live and love. Legally, we’ve fought to earn rights that protect us from discrimination and provide us with equality to our cisgender and straight counterparts. Socially, we’ve become more accepted, and our existence has enriched the communities who’ve welcomed us. More of our community members represent us at the political level. There’s plenty to celebrate. Read more via Xtra