Not many people know the name Jim Egan, but a new Canadian video might change that.

 

Egan, along with his partner Jack Nesbit, fought for the right to legally marry back in the 90's. They took their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, but lost in 1995. However, the decision of the court did lay the groundwork for increased protections for Canada's LGBT community, with the judges finding that sexual orientation is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Heritage Minutes" are one-minute videos aired on Canadian TV to celebrate important aspects and milestones of the country's history.  
 

Heritage Minutes' manager Davida Aronovitch explained: "The fact that Jim and Jack's story starts in the '40s allowed us to show a time in history that a lot of Canadians may not be aware of, which is a time when homosexual relationships were illegal and that having homosexual relationships could result in imprisonment and I think that it's something that's really important for Canadians to know and understand because while we are an immensely accepting society and there's so much that we are proud of, our history definitely has aspects that are darker and are important for us to understand and remember so that we know where we came from and we know where we're going in the future."

Other Heritage Minutes have dealt with such things as Canada's Underground Railroad (which helped African Americans escape slavery), Agnes Macphail (the first woman elected to the House of Commons who fought for more humane treatment of prisoners), and the creation of the Canadian flag.

 

The latest short was released in time for Pride Month and will be shared on national TV and rail and airline entertainment systems.