Theo Wouters and Roger Thibault named honorary citizens of Montreal – Montreal | 24CA News
Theo Wouters and Roger Thibault are being acknowledged by the City of Montreal for his or her decades-long struggle to advance LGBTQ2 rights.
At a ceremony at Montreal City Hall May 15, two days earlier than the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, Mayor Valérie Plante granted the pair honorary citizenship, making the couple the newest on a listing of honourees which incorporates former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard and author Mordicai Richler.
“It’s an honour to be on this list,” Wouters advised Global News from their yard within the Montreal suburb of Pointe Claire.
In 2002, the 2 grew to become the primary same-sex couple in Canada to be entered right into a civil union, however he mentioned they have been nonetheless shocked by the honour.
“We were just bowled over yesterday by all the attention,” Wouters laughed.
The consideration they received in the course of the ceremony was far completely different from the sort they have been getting within the early days of their relationship, when the homophobic threats and intimidation got here from all quarters.
“They started to be harassed around the end of the 1990s and then early 2000s,” famous Fo Niemi, head of the civil rights group, Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR). “Then things got worse around right after 9-11.”
According to him, due to the failure of the police, different authorities and a few neighbours to acknowledge the assaults as homophobic harassment, CRARR helped the couple to take some instances to the Quebec human rights tribunal, which dominated within the couple’s favour in 2008.
Niemi factors out that call helped the general public, in addition to authorities, to acknowledge the thought of homophobic harassment.
“Those who believe that they could go out and harass and discriminate against gay people, particularly in their neighbourhoods, in their homes with impunity, I think (the judgment) put a dent to that notion,” he defined.
Despite their achievements, Wouter worries for youthful members of the LGBTQ2 communities, pointing to persevering with acts of homophobia and saying individuals shouldn’t take onerous fought for rights with no consideration.
“It is important that the young people really know their history a bit and be vigilant,” he harassed, “because times are changing and we don’t know what the future will be.”
Still, these newly-minted honorary residents are pleased with all the things they’ve completed collectively.
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