7. How many of Historica Canada’s “Heritage Minutes” shorts are about 2SLGBTQIA+ people or events?
Two!
Remember Heritage Minutes? Those fantastically hokey, sometimes grainy, videos from the 90s that tell you something about Canadian history, usually absolutely crammed into the 60 second limit?
They’re still going! And honestly, if you haven’t seen some of the more recent ones, you’re missing out.
So far, there are two Canadian Heritage Minutes about people or events that are known to be queer. The first, released in 2018, tells us a little bit about Jim Egan, one of Canada’s earliest publicly queer activists, and plaintiff in the landmark case Egan v. Canada. In brief: In Canada, after the age of 60 you become eligible for a certain amount of income support from the government, and can receive an additional amount called an “Allowance” if your spouse also reaches age 60, and your combined income is below a certain threshold. Egan and his partner, John Norris “Jack” Nesbit, had been living together for forty years, and when Jack reached age 60, they applied for the income allowance with Jack as a common-law partner. This request was denied, although the couple met every necessary criterion to receive the benefits, excepting that their common-law marriage was a same-sex one. Egan appealed this decision, and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court. The case is a fascinating one—if you want to read an explanation of it, check out barbara findlay’s special in The Toronto Star, which also contextualizes the case in the broader story of reaching the legalization of same-sex marriages, or this article from The Centre for Constitutional Studies, which is a strict legal analysis of the decision. As barbara explains:
“Four of the nine judges of the Court found no discrimination. Five judges held that it was discriminatory to exclude same-sex couples. But of those five, one effectively found that though excluding same-sex partners was discriminatory, the government could do so anyway. He reasoned that when the government was extending benefits it could do so in an “incremental” fashion, relying on section 1 of the Charter, which notes there are “reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society,” even if doing so meant passing discriminatory legislation.”
In short: he lost, but an important legal precedent was established that was the linchpin of the argument for same-sex rights moving forward.
Watch the Heritage Minute here:
The second heritage minute is about Jackie Shane, a black trans R&B singer who contributed to the development of the “Toronto sound”. Born in Nashville, Shane moved to Toronto around 1953 and became a prominent figure, sharing the stage with names as big as Little Richard, Etta James, and Marvin Gaye.²
Jackie moved to California in 1971 with her partner at the time and, after that relationship fell apart, to Nashville, to care for her ailing parents. She lived a very private life in obscurity, but was “rediscovered” by the media in the 2010s. She has been the topic of a series of documentaries, articles, and other media attention, including a 2024 documentary called “Any Other Way” that’s currently touring the festival circuit. In 2017, a compilation of her music titled Any Other Way was issued and nominated for a Grammy in the Best Historical Album category. ³ She passed away on February 21, 2019.
I also strongly recommend this interview from Here & Queer, where some of the creative team discuss working on the Minute and what it meant to them as queer people.
Further Learning:
Jim Egan
Adam Badari. “Egan v. Canada (1995) – Equality Rights and Same-Sex Spousal Benefits.” Centre for Constitutional Studies. Published June 23, 2010.
barbara findlay, “Remembering the impact of Egan v. Canada.” The Toronto Star. June 16, 2018.
Donald W. McLeod, “Jim Egan.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Published April 10, 2018.
Jackie Shane
CBC Radio. “The late Jackie Shane in her own words: A rare interview with the pioneering musician.” CBC Radio. Originally published February 8, 2019.
Note: the full interview from Q seems to have been taken offline (rude!!!) but you can hear a short excerpt of Jackie speaking here:
Melody Lau. “5 things we learned from the new Jackie Shane documentary.” CBC Music. Published April 25, 2024.
Sources:
¹ barbara findlay, “Remembering the impact of Egan v. Canada.” The Toronto Star. June 16, 2018. https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/remembering-the-impact-of-egan-v-canada/article_06419663-ad88-500b-8030-3d160d4714c9.html
² Melody Lau. “5 things we learned from the new Jackie Shane documentary.” CBC Music. Published April 25, 2024.
3. Ana Monroy Yglesias. “Jackie Shane, Groundbreaking Trans Soul Singer, Finally Shares her Story & Music.” Grammy Awards. Published January 17, 2019.
