Share this page!

Enter URL or ID to Unroll

You can paste full URL like: https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1644127596119195649
or just the ID like: 1644127596119195649

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

  1. On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
  2. Click again on or Share Via icon
  3. Click on Copy Link to Tweet
  4. Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
  5. More info at Twitter Help
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
@CraigBaird
Jun 9, 2023 • 6 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
Scrolly
It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of Operation Soap.

On Feb. 5, 1981, Toronto Police raided four gay bathhouses in Toronto. Nearly 300 men were arrested in the largest mass arrest since the 1970 October Crisis.
The event is often called Canada's Stonewall.

🧵1/6 Image
Tensions with Toronto Police and the gay community was especially bad at the time.
In 1979, the Toronto Police Association newsletter published an essay called "The Homosexual Fad" that portrayed gay men as militant deviants who recruited children into their lifestyle.

🧵2/6 Image
In the raids, undercover police wore red dots on their clothing so police could "know who are the straights."
When the men were arrested, police used homophobic slurs & references to gassing homosexuals in Nazi death camps.

🧵3/6 Image
Police compiled personal data on the men including who were married, their jobs, work superiors and the names and phone numbers of wives.
Of the 286 arrested, only 20 were charged. The bathhouses also suffered $50,000 in damages from police during the arrests.

🧵4/6 Image
The next evening, 3000 people marched through Toronto to protest the arrests. As they approached Queens Park, they were met by 200 police officers. Violence broke out, leading to 11 arrests and several injuries on both sides.
Public outcry of the arrests continued.

🧵5/6 Image
Despite the public outcry, the raiding of bath houses in Toronto did not stop.
Further raids would occur in 1981, 1983, 1996 and 2000.
Despite this, the Toronto Pride community continued to grow & be accepted. Today, Pride is one of Toronto's biggest annual celebrations.

🧵6/6 Image

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx

Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @CraigBaird

Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 8
On this day in 1919, Bob Homme was born.
While he was born in the United States, he adopted Canada as his home. To generations of Canadians, he was The Friendly Giant.
Let's look up...waaaaay up...and learn about his life!

🧵1/12 The photo features an older man with white hair, smiling at the camera. He is dressed in a rustic, medieval-style outfit, including a tan tunic with a brown collar and black pants. In his hands, he holds a violin and a small stringed instrument, possibly a dulcimer or zither, placed on his lap. Over his shoulder, he carries a bagpipe. Accompanying him are two puppet-like figures: one is a colorful giraffe with blue spots and a harmonica in its mouth, positioned to his left, and the other is a chicken puppet perched on his right shoulder, dressed in a polka-dotted outfit. The background is ...
Bob Homme was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin where his parents were teachers at the high school.
After he graduated from school, he attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a degree in economics.
He joined the Air National Guard in 1939.

🧵2/12 This black-and-white photo depicts a man with short hair, smiling at the camera. He is dressed in a medieval or folk-style outfit, featuring a loose-fitting tunic with a belt around his waist. He appears to be playing a set of bagpipes, with one hand on the chanter and the other supporting the bag, which is decorated with a polka-dot pattern. Behind him stands a puppet resembling a giraffe with large spots, holding a violin and bow, as if playing along. The background consists of a stone wall with a rounded, textured pattern, giving the scene a rustic or historical ambiance. The overall co...
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his unit was activated. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and was assigned to study psychology at Cornell. He ended his time in the Second World War classifying and discharging servicemen who were returning home.

🧵3/12 This black-and-white photo shows a man kneeling or crouching on a wooden platform. He is dressed in a rustic, medieval-style outfit, featuring a loose-fitting tunic with frayed edges and dark pants. His hands are positioned as if he is adjusting or placing a small object, possibly a miniature accessory, onto a detailed model of a barn with a pitched roof and a small cupola. The background includes a painted scene depicting a rural landscape with a windmill, trees, and rolling hills, suggesting a farm setting. The indoor setting is hinted at by the visible pipes and conical structures above,...
Read 13 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 4
In 1890, the Tariff Act came into place in the United States. It placed tariffs on imports of up to 50%.
While touted as a way to build American industry, there was also the hope it would force an annexation of Canada. It backfired.
Let's learn more.

🧵1/10 The image is a black-and-white political cartoon depicting a man in a suit standing behind a counter labeled "Republican Platform." He is holding a bottle labeled "Untaxed Whiskey, 20¢ Gal." in one hand and a piece of cloth labeled "War-Taxed Common Cloth, Tariff 84%" in the other. Above the counter, a sign reads, "If you don’t see what you want, ask for it." The cartoon, signed by W.A. Rogers, appears to satirize the Republican Party's economic policies, highlighting the disparity in taxation between luxury items like whiskey and essential goods like...
Put forward by William McKinley, who was a Congressman at that point, the Tariff Act put duties across imports ranging from 38% to 49.5%.
McKinley was called the Napoleon of Protection. While some items had tariffs eliminated, most had tariffs increased.

🧵2/10 The photo is a black-and-white portrait of a man wearing a formal dark suit, white shirt, and bow tie. His hair is neatly combed and parted to the side. He has a serious expression and is seated, with one hand resting on his lap. The background is plain and dark, keeping the focus on his attire and expression, suggesting a historical or official photograph, likely from the late 19th or early 20th century.
One reason for the tariffs was to force the annexation of Canada. The McKinley Tariff declined to make an exception for Canadian products.
It was hoped this would make Canada more reliant on the US market, and push Canadians to become the 45th state.

🧵3/10 The image is a black-and-white scan of a newspaper article or editorial excerpt. The headline reads, "A TRIUMPH FOR CANADIAN BARLEY." The text discusses the McKinley tariff bill, describing it as an example of "protectionism run mad," and notes that it has failed to achieve its goal of affecting Canadian farmers. Specifically, it mentions that the bill increases the import tax on barley from 10¢ to 30¢ per bushel, but this has not reduced the importation of eight to twelve million bushels of barley yearly from Ontario, benefiting the western farmer. The text is formatted...
Read 11 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Mar 3
On this day in 1920, James Doohan was born in Vancouver.
He became famous for playing Scotty on Star Trek, but before he was chief engineer on a starship he was fighting for Canada in the Second World War.
Let's learn more about that time of his life!

🧵1/12 The photo shows two images side by side. On the left, a man wearing a red Starfleet uniform with a delta shield insignia, associated with the character Scotty from "Star Trek," is depicted in a futuristic setting. On the right, a young man in a military uniform, including a beret with an insignia, is shown outdoors, smiling, with trees in the background.
Doohan was the youngest of four children born to Irish immigrants.
Early in Doohan's life, the family moved to Sarnia where he attended the Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School. He enlisted with the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in 1938.

🧵2/12 The black-and-white photo shows a young man in a military uniform and an older woman in a floral dress sitting side by side on deck chairs in a garden. The man is smiling, and the woman has a calm expression. The background features greenery and a wooden fence.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Doohan was posted with the 14th (Midland) Field Battery of the Second Canadian Infantry Division. He then transferred to the 13th Field Regiment of the Canadian Third Infantry Division in their 22nd Field Battery.

🧵3/12 The black-and-white photograph depicts a young man standing outdoors in a military uniform. He is wearing a peaked cap with an insignia, a belted jacket with epaulets, and trousers. His hands are on his hips, exuding a confident posture. The background features a rural landscape with bare trees and open ground, suggesting it was taken in late autumn or winter. The overall tone of the image is historical, likely from the mid-20th century, given the style of the uniform and the photographic quality.
Read 13 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 24
On this day in 1986, Tommy Douglas died.
Considered one of the most important Canadians of the 20th century, he served as premier of Saskatchewan, led the federal NDP, and was instrumental in the creation of Medicare in Canada.
Let's explore his life :)

🧵1/16 The black-and-white photograph depicts a man in a suit and tie, wearing glasses, with a serious expression. The image has a classic, mid-20th-century style, suggesting it could be a formal portrait from that era.
Tommy Douglas was born on Oct. 20, 1904 in Scotland. When he was seven, the family moved to Winnipeg. Around this time, he injured his knee and Osteomyelitis set in. He went through various operations and doctors stated he would lose the leg.

🧵2/16 This black-and-white photograph shows a man in a pinstripe suit, vest, and patterned tie, with his hands in his pockets. He has a calm expression and neatly combed hair, exuding a confident, dapper appearance typical of mid-20th-century formal portraits.
Thankfully, an orthopedic surgeon agreed to treat Douglas for free if his medical students could observe. This free medical care greatly influenced Douglas later in life.
In 1919, he saw the government's violent response to squash the Winnipeg General Strike.

🧵3/16 This black-and-white photograph depicts a young man in a suit and tie, with a pocket square, and neatly combed hair. He has a serious expression and the image has a classic, early-to-mid-20th-century style, suggesting a formal portrait.
Read 17 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 21
Tonight in Maple Creek, SK, two hockey teams are going to take to the ice to continue a four-decade tradition.
It is a hockey game between the Nekaneet First Nation and local ranchers.
Let's learn more about The Battle of the Little Big Puck!

📸Anthony Janzen

🧵1/7 The photo shows two individuals shaking hands on an ice rink. One person is dressed in traditional Indigenous regalia, including a colorful feathered headdress and red outfit, while the other wears a hockey uniform with a blue jersey and furry chaps, holding a hockey stick. Spectators and signs, including one for "Maple Creek, SK," are visible in the background, indicating a cultural or community hockey event.
According to legend, the hockey game dates back to a hot day in July in the mid-1970s when some local ranchers and members of the Nekaneet First Nation were sitting in Maple Creek's Commercial Hotel having a beer together.

🧵2/7 The black-and-white photo shows a two-story building identified as the "Commercial Hotel." The facade features multiple windows, a balcony on the second floor, and signs for a "Licensed Beverage Room," "Dining Room," and "Hotel Lobby." A pickup truck is parked in front of the building, and the street appears quiet, suggesting a small town setting from a past era, likely mid-20th century.
They began to joke with each other as to who could ride the toughest horses, rope a steer the quickest and more.
Eventually, the conversation turned to hockey and who would defeat who on the ice. Soon, they decided to determine who was indeed the best.

📸Katie Willis

🧵3/7 The photo shows two individuals sitting in a locker room, both wearing hockey gear and traditional Indigenous attire. One person wears a purple shirt, black shorts, red socks, and a feathered headdress, while the other is in a tan fringed jacket, black helmet, and similar hockey gear. They are smiling, surrounded by hockey sticks, clothing, and equipment, with the name "Kate Willis" credited at the bottom.
Read 8 tweets
Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx Profile picture
Feb 19
On this day in 1942, German tanks and soldiers marched through Winnipeg. The mayor, premier and Lt. Governor were arrested. The city was renamed Himmlerstadt, books were burned and the swastika flag flew around the city.
This is the story of Winnipeg's If Day.

🧵1/14 The photo is a black-and-white image of a military parade in an urban setting, likely from the mid-20th century. It shows several small tanks or armored vehicles driving down a city street, with soldiers in helmets riding in them. The street is lined with multi-story buildings, vintage cars, and streetcars, suggesting a historical context, possibly during World War II.
During the Second World War, Victory Bond Campaigns were held to raise money for the war effort. Civilians could buy the bonds, which matured in 2.5, six or 14 years. In total, 10 Victory Bond campaigns were held during the war.

🧵2/14 Image
On Feb. 16, 1942, the second Victory Loan campaign began and Manitoba decided to go all out.
Organizers came up with the idea of showing residents what would happen if Canada lost the war and Germany invaded.
Thus the idea of If Day was created.

🧵3/14 The photo shows a vintage World War II-era Canadian propaganda poster encouraging the purchase of Victory Bonds. It features an illustration of a determined pilot wearing a fur-lined aviator cap and jacket, holding a machine gun. The background is a gradient of blue and white, with a faint image of a plane and a target. The text reads, "Come on Canada! Keep Me in the Air" in yellow and white, and "BUY the New VICTORY BONDS" in bold black and yellow letters at the bottom. The poster is designed to evoke patriotism and support for the war effort.
Read 15 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

Send Email!

:(