13 Facts About Brent Hawkes

Brent Hawkes earned Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education degrees from Mount Allison University, before working as a teacher in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley in the later 1970s.

Brent Hawkes then earned Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Trinity College, an Anglican institution at the University of Toronto.

Brent Hawkes was appointed as senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, a church openly affirming for LGBTQ parishioners, in 1978 to succeed Bob Wolfe.

Brent Hawkes has served on the advisory committee of PrideVision TV and served on the board of directors for advocacy group Egale Canada.

On January 14,2001, Brent Hawkes gained national attention by performing a wedding ceremony for two same-sex couples at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.

Brent Hawkes officiated the state funeral of Jack Layton on August 27,2011, at Roy Thomson Hall.

Brent Hawkes retired as pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in fall 2017, and was succeeded by Jeff Rock.

Brent Hawkes's strong showing played a major role in defeating incumbent Liberal Tim Murphy.

Brent Hawkes pleaded not guilty, and was acquitted of all charges on January 31,2017, with the judge ruling there were "significant inconsistencies in the testimony of the witnesses".

In 2009, Brent Hawkes received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree for his continuing work in activism and human rights in Canada from York University.

In 2010, Brent Hawkes was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Mount Allison University, and in 2011 received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College, Toronto.

Brent Hawkes was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada by Governor General Michaelle Jean in 2007 for his achievements as "a champion of human rights and social justice for decades" and was formally invested into the Order in a ceremony on February 22,2008.

In 2012, Brent Hawkes was named one of the "500 most influential gay men in the world" by the European gay magazine Mate; and in 2013 he was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame, as an individual who made significant contributions to LGBT human rights.