Gay rights pioneer Michael Hendricks, first same-sex marriage in Quebec, dies at 84

Michael Hendricks, a Canadian gay rights activist who fought years of court battles for the right to marry and became part of the first same-sex couple married in Quebec, has died at 84.

Hendricks, who was fighting a degenerative lung disease, died by medical assistance in dying on July 20, 2026. He leaves behind his partner of more than 21 years, René Leboeuf.

Their April 2004 wedding in a Montreal courtroom made history in Quebec and set the stage for same-sex couples across the province to pursue marriage. That victory followed six years of legal battles—a costly fight that tested both men's resolve.

Before championing marriage equality, Hendricks and Leboeuf had already been activists for people living with HIV, putting their names and their energy into community work when the crisis was at its peak and stigma was ferocious.