It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of Delwin Vriend, whose firing sparked a debate over sexual orientation discrimination.

Delwin Vriend was born in Iowa in 1966 & moved to an organic vegetable farm near Edmonton with his family when he was two.

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As an adult, he earned a mathematics and physics degree and then started working as a laboratory coordinator & chemistry lab instructor at King's College (University) in Edmonton.
In 1991, he was fired by King's College due to his sexual orientation.

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Vriend filed a discrimination complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission but this was refused as sexual orientation was not protected under the human rights code.
He then sued the Alberta Government & Human Rights Commission.

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In 1994, an Alberta court ruled that sexual orientation was a protected class under human rights legislation.
The Alberta government appealed this & in 1996, the court's decision was overruled by the Alberta Court of Appeal.
The case went to the Supreme Court of Canada.

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The case, Vriend v. Alberta, was ruled on in 1998 with the Supreme Court stating provincial governments could not exclude protection of individuals from human rights legislation based on sexual orientation.
Religious groups lobbed the government to overturn the decision.

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The Supreme Court case had large ramifications in Canadian law & was used as a legal precedent concerning civil rights & constitutional laws.
Due to publicity of the case, Vriend eventually left Canada in 2000.
In 2011, he was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada.

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More from @CraigBaird

Jun 14
It is #IndigenousHistoryMonth and this is the story of Keish, the man who started the Klondike Gold Rush

Keish was born around 1855 near Bennett Lake, Yukon, His name Keish means wolf.
A member of the Tagish people, his father was Kaachgaawaa, a chief.

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In the mid-1880s, Keish was working as a packer, carrying supplies through the backcountry. It was doing this where he earned his nickname Skookum Jim, for his strength. The word means strong & reliable in Chinook jargon.
He soon began working with George Carmack.

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His sister, Kate (she will have her own thread in a few days), married George & the three began prospecting.
In mid-August 1896, they struck gold at Rabbit (Bonanza) Creek. While Carmack said he saw it first, witnesses say it was Keish who discovered gold.

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Read 6 tweets
Jun 14
It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of George Hislop, the unofficial mayor of the Toronto Gay Community.

George Hislop was born on June 3, 1927. He studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts. In 1958, he met his lifelong partner Ron Shearer.

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In 1971, Hislop co-founded the Community Homophile Association of Toronto, one of the earliest organizations for LGBTQ individuals in Canada.
On Aug. 28, 1971, he organized the We Demand march, the first gay rights demonstration on Parliament Hill.

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In 1980, Hislop ran for Toronto City Council. He received an endorsement from then-Mayor John Sewell.
Both Sewell & Hislop were subjected to harassment during the campaign & the Toronto Police Association openly campaigned against them both. Both Hislop & Sewell lost.

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Read 5 tweets
Jun 13
The origin of each provincial and territorial flag, a historical thread!

British Columbia:
With the Royal Union flag on top, the wavy lines represent B.C.'s location between the Pacific & the Rockies.
The setting sun symbolizes BC's place as the westernmost province. Image
Alberta:

The flag features the provincial shield of arms on a blue background. The shield includes the provincial colours of Alberta Blue and Alberta Gold, with an image of the varying landscape of the province. Image
Saskatchewan:

Featuring the shield of arms of Saskatchewan, the yellow represents the grain fields of the southern portion of the province, while the green is the northern forests. The western red lily is the provincial flower of Saskatchewan. Image
Read 13 tweets
Jun 13
It is #IndigenousHistoryMonth and this is the story of Sgt. Tommy Prince, one of Canada's most decorated soldiers.

Tommy Prince was born in Petersfield, Manitoba on Oct. 15, 1915. His family had a long military tradition, which he would carry in his adult life.

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Despite easily meeting requirements, he was turned down several times when he tried to enlist to fight in the Second World War.
He was finally accepted on June 3, 1940. Originally part of the Royal Canadian Engineers, he joined the Devil's Brigade in 1942.

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Prince was highly skilled with covert abilities. In February 1944, he ran a communication line 1,400 metres to a house only 200 metres from a Germany artillery position. He spent three days reporting on German activities from that house.

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Read 8 tweets
Jun 13
It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of Jackie Shane, a pioneering transgender performer in Canada!

Jackie Shane was born in Nashville on May 15, 1940. In the 1950s, she began to perform in make-up with long hair. In 1959, she moved to Ontario by joining a carnival.

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In 1960, she started to perform at the Esquire Show Bar in Montreal & became the lead vocalist for Frank Motley & his Motley Crew.
Writing about her performances, media always called her a man wearing women's clothing.
She continued to find success in music.

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She released Money (That's What I Want) in 1962, followed by Any Other Way, which was a hit nationally for her and the band.
She continued to perform in the 1960s but less so after 1970. She turned down an offer to join George Clinton's Funkadelic as well.

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Read 5 tweets
Jun 12
It is #PrideMonth and this is the story of The Body Politic, Canada's first major LGBTQ publication.

The 1st edition of the magazine was published on Nov. 1, 1971 by a collective of individuals, out of the home of Jearld Moldenhauer, the owner of the Glad Day Bookshop.

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In 1973, the Toronto Star refused to print an advertisement for the magazine, stating it did not accept ads related to sexual activity.
The magazine went to the Ontario Press Council & won a ruling that the refusal was discriminatory.

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The Toronto Star retaliated to the ruling by ending the printing contract for The Body Politic with the Star's printing subsidiary Newsweb Enterprises.
In 1977, Toronto Police seized the subscriber list for the magazine during a raid.

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Read 4 tweets

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