barbara findlay

barbara j. findlay (1949 – August 22, 2026) was a Canadian lawyer, feminist, educator and activist whose career was focused on equality, human rights and social justice. For more than four decades, she used the law, advocacy, education and community organizing to challenge discrimination and expand the rights of women, lesbians, gay men, and transgender people. was raised working class in a Christian family on the Canadian prairies,

In 1970, findlay encountered second-wave feminism. It provided her with a framework for understanding her own experience and the broader structures of inequality around her. She subsequently studied sociology and law at the University of British Columbia, earning an M.A. in sociology and an LLB.

Career findlay was called to the bar in 1977.

During the 1990s and 2000s, findlay emerged as one of Canada's leading lawyers in cases involving sexual orientation and gender identity. She was a co-founder of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC), the Canadian Bar Association's national and regional sections focused on sexual orientation and gender identity, now known as the Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance, and a founding member of the December 9 Coalition.

Her work included litigation concerning same-sex marriage, recognition of same-sex parents,

Her work extended well beyond the courtroom. Throughout her career, findlay combined litigation with public education, community organizing and political advocacy, grounded in the view that legal rights are most effective when connected to movements for social change. She is featured in Making Room: Forty Years of Room Magazine in the photo essay "The Cancer Year" (together with Dorothy Elias).

After she retired from ordinary legal practice, findlay remained active. She continued to participate in significant equality-rights litigation, advocate against the erosion of human rights through use of the notwithstanding clause, mentor younger 2SLGBTQIA+ lawyers and participate in community education.

findlay's life and career are chronicled in the documentary ,

Her papers are held by the Transgender Archives of the University of Victoria, preserving a substantial record of her legal and activist work and placing her career within the broader history of Canada's transgender-rights movement.

After a long bout of myalgic encephalomyelitis, findlay opted for assisted dying and on August 22, 2026, she died at the age of 77.

Awards In 2001, findlay was designated Queen's Counsel (QC).

findlay was given an award of merit from the Sexual Diversity Studies Department at the University of Toronto.

In 2025, findlay was awarded the Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch President's Medal, which recognizes a significant contribution to the profession during the president's term.