- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✔ Recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Public opinion polls in Ontario have found that acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals is prevalent.
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 22 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Ontario.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
Homosexual activity in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 27, 1969
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) under federal Canada law
In 1953, the Criminal Code was amended to also criminalize homosexuality between women.
Male illegal, female legal under federal Canada law
In 1890, the House of Commons introduced a new offence called “gross indecency." The new offence made it easier to charge suspected sodomites.
In 1893, the gross indecency law became part of the country’s first Criminal Code. The original language of the law referred only to homosexual acts between men, as sex between women was typically ignored at the time.
In 1893, the gross indecency law became part of the country’s first Criminal Code. The original language of the law referred only to homosexual acts between men, as sex between women was typically ignored at the time.
1648–Jul 1, 1893
Illegal (death penalty as punishment) under federal Canada law
In 1648, the first documented case of a sodomy conviction occurred.
The military drummer, who was the man convicted, was found guilty and was sentenced to death. However, Jesuits stepped in and were able to transfer the case to Québec City, where his life was sparred.
From then until 1893, few known cases exist of homosexuals being sentenced to death.
The military drummer, who was the man convicted, was found guilty and was sentenced to death. However, Jesuits stepped in and were able to transfer the case to Québec City, where his life was sparred.
From then until 1893, few known cases exist of homosexuals being sentenced to death.
Same-sex marriage in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 10, 2003
Legal
Through the case Halpern v. Canada, the definition of marriage as "one man and one woman" was changed to “the voluntary union for life of two persons to the exclusion of all others” to comply with the couples' equality rights under section 15(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Ontario is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Ontario, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Ontario is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Oct 12, 2012
Legal, no restrictions
Ontario-born can now change their assigned gender on their birth certificate without proof of surgery. Other documents can be changed regardless of birthplace without proof of surgery.
Gender-affirming care in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since 2000
Legal
Ontario covers the following procedures:
-Assessment for hormone therapy
-Counselling
-Augmentation mammoplasty or mastectomy
-Private clinic stay and/or ministry-approved services outside Canada
-Orchiectomy
-Hysterectomy
-Salpingo-oophorectomy
-Vaginoplasty
-Clitoroplasty
-Clitoral release
-Labiaplasty
-Vaginectomy
-Metoidioplasty
-Phalloplasty
-Testicular implants with scrotoplasty
-Penile implant
Hormones and hormone blockers are partially covered.
To get coverage, patients must be referred by a qualified provider.
-Assessment for hormone therapy
-Counselling
-Augmentation mammoplasty or mastectomy
-Private clinic stay and/or ministry-approved services outside Canada
-Orchiectomy
-Hysterectomy
-Salpingo-oophorectomy
-Vaginoplasty
-Clitoroplasty
-Clitoral release
-Labiaplasty
-Vaginectomy
-Metoidioplasty
-Phalloplasty
-Testicular implants with scrotoplasty
-Penile implant
Hormones and hormone blockers are partially covered.
To get coverage, patients must be referred by a qualified provider.
Restricted
In 1969, the first gender identity clinic opened in Toronto at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and the first gender-affirming surgery in Canada was performed in 1970.
To qualify, applicants had to be employed, be straight, never have been convicted of a crime, have lived as their identified gender for at least two years, and have changed all their legal documents.
To qualify, applicants had to be employed, be straight, never have been convicted of a crime, have lived as their identified gender for at least two years, and have changed all their legal documents.
Until 1969
Banned
Medical transition was not possible in Ontario at the time.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ontario is recognized.
Current status
Since 2018
Recognized
Ontario allows residents to use an X gender marker on birth certificates, health cards and driving licenses as well as to remove the marker altogether.
LGBT discrimination in Ontario is illegal.
Current status
Since Jun 15, 1962
Illegal
Ontario's Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination and harassment because of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in housing, contracts, employment, goods, services, facilities, and membership in unions or professional associations.
The Code is enforced by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
The Code is enforced by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
LGBT employment discrimination in Ontario is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jun 15, 1962
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Ontario's Human Rights Code states that every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination or harassment because of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
The Code is enforced by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
The Code is enforced by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
LGBT housing discrimination in Ontario is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2012
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Various forms of discrimination are prohibited for protected classes including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Same-sex adoption in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since May 25, 1995
Legal
There are no laws in Canada against same-sex couples adoption children.
Intersex infant surgery in Ontario is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
As of now, no laws exist in Ontario to ban or monitor genital surgery on intersex infants.
While parents are usually told, doctors do not always explain their child is intersex and might hide the information from the patient.
Activists groups are trying to change this and make cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants illegal. On June 15, 2021, Egale Canada challenged the federal exemption allowing doctors to operate on intersex infants.
While parents are usually told, doctors do not always explain their child is intersex and might hide the information from the patient.
Activists groups are trying to change this and make cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants illegal. On June 15, 2021, Egale Canada challenged the federal exemption allowing doctors to operate on intersex infants.
Serving openly in military in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since Oct 10, 1992
Legal
Covered by federal law, Ontario has no provincial military.
Blood donations by MSMs in Ontario is legal.
Current status
Since Sep 30, 2022
Legal
Following the Canadian Blood Services guidelines, men who have sex with men will be allowed to donate on September 30, 2022 and onwards without a deferral.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Blood donations in Ontario are managed by Canadian Blood Services and thus follow its guidelines.
Conversion therapy in Ontario is banned.
Current status
Since Jun 4, 2015
Banned
On June 4, Ontario unanimously passed a Bill 77 "Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Act" banning "any practice that seeks to change or direct the sexual orientation or gender identity of a patient under 18 years of age, including efforts to change or direct the patient's behavior or gender expression."
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