In 1994, my partner passed away. As a member of a same-sex couple, I was not entitled to the Quebec survivor pension. Heterosexual couples had that right. This was a case of discrimination based on sexual orientation, illegal according to Quebec human rights law. I, together with three others, sued the Quebec government to obtain the pension. We were represented by the Quebec Human Rights Commission. The case went through the court system to the Quebec Court of Appeal. After eight years, we won the right to our pension, with retroactive payments going back to the start of the action.
-K. David
Montreal, QC