Rev. Brent Hawkes – ecstatic as he is right now – can understand the irony of it all.

“I’m used to picketing governments,” he says, “taking them to court.”

Friday, one of this country’s foremost defenders of gay rights got Canada’s highest civilian honour, as Mr. Hawkes, 59, was named to the Order of Canada.

“It’s amazing. My head’s spinning a little bit,” he said in an interview as he juggled phone calls and overhauled his schedule. “It’s just an amazing moment to focus on what a great country this is.”

This August, Mr. Hawkes will mark his 30th year as pastor of Toronto’s Metropolitan Community Church. During those three decades, the pastor and his church fought tooth and nail to earn Canada’s gay and lesbian community the same legal and spiritual rights as everyone else.

The Globe and Mail

The Order of Canada - wiki
The Order of Canada - Governor General of Canada