Review in The Gay & Lesbian Review/Worldwide
The legal position for Canada’s GLBT citizens is enviable by many international standards, but Peter Knegt is anything but smug in his treatment of his country’s civil-rights evolution. In Queer Rights-the seventh in the “About Canada” series-Knegt takes nothing for granted, pointing out that while full legal equality is something to celebrate, queer Canadians still face numerous social and economic challenges. This succinct, smart volume documents in detail the various legal and political battles that led to Canada becoming the the first country in the Western Hemisphere (and the fourth in the world) to legalize same-sex marriage. Knegt is aware that Canadian history is often told only through the prism of its largest city, and he carefully avoids Toronto-centrism by interviewing gay activists from coast to coast. He includes a discussion about the distinct challenges faced by two-spirited aboriginal peoples, recent immigrants, and refugees who are gay and trans, who still face their own set of complex legal hurdles. He quotes a number of articles from the trailblazing (and sadly now defuct) gay and lesbian magazine The Body Politic. And his extensive research has paid off. About Canada: Queer Rights is a crucial and reader-friendly account of a progressive country’s move towards the full legal equality of its sexual minorities. - Matthew Hays, The Gay & Lesbian Review/Worldwide, Jan/Feb 2012.