New BrunswickCatherine Sidney holds a teacup, sitting alongside her wife, Bridget McGale. The pair chat comfortably among old friends, as they’ve done freely for years.A Pride Week social in Saint John saw seniors enjoying rights they once had to go to court forLuke Beirne · CBC News · Posted: Aug 18, 2025 12:05 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 18Catherine Sidney and Bridget McGale of Saint John have been together for more than 40 years, married for half that time. (Submitted by Catherine Sidney and Bridget McGale)Catherine Sidney holds a teacup, sitting alongside her wife, Bridget McGale. The pair chat comfortably among old friends, as they’ve done freely for years.But it wasn’t always this way.”Back in the day when we were fighting for equality, [we] were deeply, deeply hidden, and there was a lot of violence towards our community,” said Alex Saunders, president of Saint John Pride. “And on top of that there was the AIDS crisis, where it was known as this ‘gay disease,’ and people in hospitals wouldn’t help the patients or help feed them.”Saunders is one of the organizers of the first Stay Golden Pride Senior Social, a gathering of 2SLGBTQ+ seniors in the Saint John region.This sunny August afternoon is something members of the group once couldn’t have imagined. Sidney, McGale, and Carl Trickey-Crooks, another guest at last week’s social, were among the five who fought to make same-sex marriage legal in New Brunswick. In 2005, McGale, Sidney, and Trickey-Crooks went to court with Wayne Harrison and Ross Leavitt, fighting for the right to marry. Sidney tells the story of their battle with the government amid a backdrop of upbeat music and pleasant chatter. Chairs fill for short periods as people move throughout the room, meeting new people or catching up with old friends. Harrison and Leavitt were married in Toronto. But when they moved to New Brunswick, their marriage wasn’t recognized, something they were unwilling to simply accept. The group “went before the courts of New Brunswick to get equal marriage rights,” Trickey-Crooks said. “We weren’t sure how it was going to go.” Jim Trickey-Crooks, left, and Carl Trickey-Crooks were two of the people responsible for the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Brunswick. (CBC)Because of their challenge, Justice Judy Clendening ruled that same-sex couples in New Brunswick could marry on June 23, 2005.Their victory had implications across the country. The social is largely a celebration of those who fought for the community’s rights, Saunders said. “As a result of that, all of Canada now has equal marriage rights,” said Trickey-Crooks.”Once 50 per cent of the population had that right, then all of Canadians had that right. We brought it up over the 50 per cent and so the day it was declared here, then all of Canadians had equal marriage rights.”Despite the change in legality, he still believes Canada has far to go. “I’m really glad that we have Pride Week,” Trickey-Crooks said.”Because I think that there’s still a lot that needs to be accomplished.”CorrectionsA previous version of this story incorrectly said Alex Saunders is the president of non-profit organization Chroma. Saunders is in fact the president of Saint John Pride.Aug 19, 2025 8:20 AM EDTABOUT THE AUTHORLuke Beirne is a researcher at CBC News in Saint John. He is also a writer and the author of three novels. You can reach him at luke.beirne@cbc.ca.
For these seniors, the golden years gleam brighter thanks to N.B. fight for equal rights
