On Friday, October 11, 2024, the CHRR supported the 2SLGBTQ+ Histories Series at the University of Manitoba for a lecture with Dr. Tom Hooper from the Department of Equity Studies in York University who spoke on “Resisting Anti-Queer and Anti-Trans Hate: Lessons from 1970s Toronto”.

About the lecture:

In January 1978 anti-Queer and anti-Trans activist Anita Bryant brought her “Save Our Children” campaign to Toronto. The previous year Bryant had organized against a Miami-Dade, Florida ordinance that protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Bryant’s central argument was that this ordinance protected Queer and Trans people from discrimination in employment, including teachers and others who worked with children. The campaign to define Queer and Trans people as a threat to children worked, the Miami-Dade ordinance was repealed. Bryant was emboldened and embarked on a cross-continent campaign that also included a brief time Canada. Queer and Trans communities resisted these campaigns with various tactics. In this presentation I argue that studying our communities’ resistance to Anita Bryant could be useful as our communities rally to resist anti-Queer and anti-Trans hate today.