Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender LGBT rights in Canada are some of the most advanced in the Americas and in the world. Same-sex sexual activity has been lawful in Canada since June 27, , when the Criminal Law Amendment Act also known as Bill C came into force upon royal assent. Canada is considered the most gay-friendly country in the world, being ranked first in the Gay Travel Index chart since , and among the five safest in Forbes magazine since Transgender people and cross-dressing practices have been recorded and documented in Canada for centuries. Different indigenous groups have had their own traditions and terms to refer to transgender people, gender variance or sexual identity. These First Nations had perceptions towards gender and sexuality which differed significantly to that of the Western world. Many transgender people in these traditional roles were in positions of reverence, where they acted as caretakers of children who had lost their families, spiritual healers and warriors in battle.

Same-sex marriage in Canada was progressively introduced in several provinces by court decisions beginning in before being legally recognized nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act on July 20, On June 10, , the Court of Appeal for Ontario issued a decision immediately legalizing same-sex marriage in Ontario, thereby becoming the first province where it was legal. The introduction of a federal gender-neutral marriage definition made Canada the fourth country in the world, and the first country outside Europe , to legally recognize same-sex marriage throughout its borders.

Signing up enhances your TCE experience with the ability to save items to your personal reading list, and access the interactive map. In , Statistics Canada began collecting information about same-sex partnerships. At that time, about 0.