The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a commemorative loonie meant to mark what it calls a key milestone for lesbian, gay, transgender, queer and two-spirited people. Finance Minister Bill Morneau listens to a question after The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a new $1 gay rights coin in Toronto on Tuesday. (CBC)Historians and advocates attending today's unveiling raised concerns about the message behind the new loonie, saying it mistakenly suggests equality has been achieved and largely as a result of the federal government's actions. Discrimination persists today, historian saysYork University historian Tom Hooper, who is part of the group, says LGTBTQ people faced continued criminalization over the decades that followed the legal changes. Rights advocates say the new $1 coin mistakenly suggests equality has been achieved.

Source: CBC News April 23, 2019 13:18 UTC