Chris Bearchell is known as an incredibly influential and notable person in the flight for queer rights in Canada. Not only was she a part of many groups such as the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario, Chris also was the founding member of many organizations including GATE (the Gay Alliance Towards Equality), and the Lesbian Organization of Toronto (LOOT). Her voice has been a powerful addition to the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ and notably when she led protestors in a march and rally after the famous Operation Soap Raids in Toronto. Chris is often described as ‘the only lesbian’ since she was one of the only women who spoke openly and courageously about lesbian and gay rights at the time. She was also a voice in changing the human rights landscape through her involvement in fighting for non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the Ontario Human Rights Code, and in a Right to Privacy Campaign regarding bathhouse raids in Toronto. Chris was also involved with a project involving inner-city youth and AIDS work, wrote for and helping manage The Body Politic magazine, and was involved in television work with the Gay Offensive Collection. Chris Bearchell is a prominent name in Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ history and fought relentlessly for queer rights up until her passing.

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Raised in Quebec, Bernard Courte was a writer, educator, and strong advocate for both the French language in Canada and 2SLGBTQ+ rights. His life of activism stemmed in part from being discouraged for speaking French and being told to ‘speak white’ while growing up in Weir, Québec, in addition to the experience of having been at the raid on the bar Truxx in Montreal in 1977. The raid on Truxx was a part of a militant raid on Montreal bathhouses which saw one of the largest mass arrests in Canadian history.

Bernard was a part of many organizations such as the Association pour les Droits des Gais du Québec where he also wrote for their paper, Le Berdache. Bernard continued in this vein of activism and wrote for, and edited Sortie and he was also writing educational material on francophone issues. With a focus on AIDS awareness in addition to his passion for the French language and French-Canadian rights, Bernard’s activism was often at the intersection of these two concerns. He started a francophone section of AIDS Action Now! As well as translated its newsletter. Not only did he also start a francophone AIDS support group in Toronto, but he also created the only French index for medical data and AIDS treatment information in North America. Whether it was writing educational journal articles, speaking out on radio and television, educating others, or organizing workshops, Bernard never stopped pursuing a life of activism which has help positively shape the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ landscape.

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Rupert Raj is a pansexual trans man of East Indian and Polish descent who has made a lasting impact in Canada. Rupert founded many groups including the Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Transsexuals (FACT), and Metamorphosis Medical Research Foundation (MMRF). Rupert also helped to found two peer support groups for transgender individuals at the 519 Community Centre in Toronto. As a writer Rupert helped found, edit, and publish three periodicals. Through his publications and his writing, Rupert aimed to support the transgender community by creating more awareness and also by bringing together and 3educating the various support networks surrounding transgender people including health professionals, families, and peers. The medical field and its intersectionality with the transgender community was always on the interest and importance to Rupert and for a portion of his career, he was a psychotherapist and LGBT Mental Health Counsellor at Toronto’s Sherbourne Health Centre.

For his incredible work through his life, notably within the transgender and medical communities, Rupert has won awards and is celebrated as a trailblazer. Rupert Raj is a courageous activist who has positively impacted many lives across Canada and who has made and continues to make an incredible difference in the transgender Canadian community.

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Douglas Stewart created a much-needed space when he helped form the organization Zami for Black queer individuals. Douglas saw, a need to create a group where this community could feel safe, welcomed, and included after seeing exclusion and racism within the queer community. Douglas also founded the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (CAP) which was an important intersectional coalition for providing awareness, support, and education. In founding Black CAP, Douglas wanted a space for conversations that heard the Black Canadian perspective and so he partnered with Black community organizations so that conversations were centered in the Black community. Douglas is also passionate about working with youth and has done so throughout his career in various ways working both with youth themselves and as a consultant for youth agencies. No matter the specific topic of his activism or the age of who he was supporting, Douglas aimed to create safe spaces for Canadians who may not otherwise have anywhere to go.

Douglas Stewart has been incredibly valuable in the shaping of Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ history, especially for youth and marginalized communities. He was one of the first people in Canada to speak out about racism and division within the community and his impactful activism and educational work continues today, helping to create a better future.

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