ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the rapid and extensive policy changes in Canada in areas such as criminal law and same-sex marriage should be read not as the story of the success of a social movement but, rather, as the result of political-institutional factors. It begins by situating the emergence of the lesbian and gay movement and the early policy change in the area of criminal law. The Canadian lesbian and gay movement might well be viewed as one of the most successful social movements in the world. The lesbian feminist movements arose in Canada at a time when there was increasing concern about human rights, stemming in part from the shock of World War II and the development of the international human rights system. Finally, the chapter considers the recent evolution of the movement in the post-marriage era.
