Village Projects:
We Demand mural

On Aug 28, 1971, the first civil rights demonstration by queers in Canada was held in Ottawa with a simultaneous demonstration in Vancouver, presenting to the government a Toronto Gay Action brief entitled “We Demand”. The brief laid out ten demands to end discrimination against homosexuals ranging from criminal code changes to human rights protection; including a demand to end the ban on homosexuals coming into the country and a demand to know if the government was investigating gays working in the public sector. The ten demands that they put before Parliament that day set the agenda for lesbian and gay rights for the next thirty years.

40 years later and much has changed, but the GLBT community continues to face oppression in schools, from many religious institutions, and sometimes even from family, friends and in the workplace. The Village is creating and funding its first public art mural to commemorate this landmark demonstration—to beautify the Village area, to celebrate and honour our past heros and proud history, and to inspire our community to work for a better future.

Among the spokespersons at the 1971 demonstration was Charlie Hill, then a member of the Homophile Association at the University of Toronto and later, Gays of Ottawa. Hill will be a key note speaker at the press conference and unveiling of the mural, which will be held on Friday, August 26th at 5pm, at the mural location on the corner of Bank and Gilmour Streets.

For more information about the mural and the unveiling and press conference, please contact the Village media/communications representative at communications@villageottawa.com.