It was 1987, the first year Environics asked Canadians whether they personally approved or disapproved of "homosexuals" (the question was later rephrased to ask about "homosexuality").
That same year, Toronto's mayor refused to make Pride Day official. Only 15,000 people attended celebrations.
Fittingly, just one in 10 Canadians at the time said they approved of homosexuals. By 2004, nearly half the population (48 per cent) approved of homosexuality. Among young people (18 to 29), it was seven in 10.
But while the past 20 years have seen approval of homosexuality per se rise dramatically, the shift in support for gay rights has been relatively modest. This is not because Canadians don't support gay rights – it's because support was surprisingly high to begin with. In 1987, nearly half of all Canadians believed that the Constitution should protect gays and lesbians from discrimination.
This in a society in which nine in 10 said they disapproved of homosexuality. In other words, plenty of Canadians who condemned homosexuality nevertheless supported gays and lesbians in the legal struggle of the day. (Incidentally, when those 15,000 Pride-goers assembled in Cawthra Park in 1987, they did so under the theme "Rightfully Proud.") Source...
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