Educational Guide: 55 Years Since We Demand
💡 Suggested Activities
1. Primary Source Analysis (1 Class Period)
Materials: Excerpt from the 13-page We Demand brief (1971), explanatory overview of Bill C-150, and whiteboard.
Activity: In small groups, students analyze the original 10 demands and answer key questions:
Which fundamental rights and freedoms were activists demanding in 1971?
Why was the 1969 Criminal Code amendment insufficient to protect the community?
Which demands were the most challenging to achieve, and why?
Each group presents its findings, followed by a class-wide discussion on the evolution of LGBTQ2+ rights in Canada.
2. Workshop on Activism and Press Freedom (1 Class Period)
Materials: Article excerpts from The Body Politic newspaper, historical photographs of the Parliament Hill protest in the rain.
Activity:
Students examine how frustration with mainstream media coverage of the era led directly to the creation of independent media.
Paired Discussion: What role do independent media and social platforms play in defending human rights today?
Writing Exercise: Draft a short op-ed or manifesto advocating for a contemporary social justice issue.
3. Creative Project: "Demand Equality" (In-Class or Homework)
Activity: Students create their own advocacy piece in response to the legacy of We Demand:
A protest poster, poem, zine, slogan, or short audio/video clip.
Possible Themes: Social justice, the right to be seen and heard, and standing against discrimination and surveillance.
Exhibition or presentation of projects during a school commemorative event or Day of Pink.
📚 Recommended Resources
Short Documentary: We Demand (Produced by Black Belt)
Documentaries & Archives: Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance (Noam Gonick)
Activism Archives: OUT North: An Archive of Queer Activism and Kinship in Canada
Historical Publication: Digitized issues of The Body Politic newspaper (Pink Triangle Press / The ArQuives)
Educational Guides: Teaching resources on LGBTQ2+ history in Canada (Egale Canada & Historica Canada)
Legal & Constitutional Documents: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Sections 2, 8, and 15) and the Immigration Act, 1976
🧠 Learn & Engage
💬 Share your message of inclusion in our Tour program.
🏆 50th Anniversary of Montreal Olympic Raids short documentary and curriculum toolkits
🏛️ 55th Anniversary of 'We Demand' Protest short documentary and curriculum toolkits
🎭 Lawrence Aronovitch's New Play script and post-show discussion guides
📥 Download campaign tools like posters, graphics, and more!
🛍️ Grab an INSPIRE T-shirt and limited-edition artwear by Marketing Therapy
💖 Donate to support free workshops and programming across Canada
🗣️ Let Your Voice INSPIRE
Use #DayOfPink2027 and #InspireChange to share your voice, your story, and your legacy. Because history isn't just the past—it's how we build tomorrow.
