I rise to pay tribute to a man who, with Prime Minister Trudeau, was responsible for the passage of the historic Bill C-150, 45 years ago today, decriminalizing homosexuality. ted northe began his activism in 1958 when he stood on the steps of the Vancouver courthouse in full drag demanding rights for gays, and so began a lifetime devoted to human rights and charitable works.
In 1971, he founded the Dogwood Monarchist Society, an organization that raised money for HIV-AIDS and for the vulnerable LGBT community. His work on LGBT rights with Harvey Milk in the U.S. earned him the keys to the cities of San Francisco and Portland. Over his lifetime he helped raise over $50 million for charities and was honoured with the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian and Distinguished Citizenship Award and the Governor General’s Special Service Medal for Distinguished Citizen and Humanitarian.
ted northe passed away on March 30. His legacy proves that one person with dedication can change the world.