Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms used to state that every individual is to be considered equal regardless of religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or physical or mental disability. It did not explicitly include sexual orientation. Activist Jim Egan took the matter to the Supreme Court of Canada and was successful. The Court held that although “sexual orientation” is not listed, it is an equivalent ground on which claims of discrimination may be based. In other words, on May 25, 1995, Canadians could no longer legally discriminate against queers.
