sˈoʊʃəl stˈæɾəs ɹˈaɪts wʌz ɐn ɪmpˈoːɹtənt fˈoːɹəm fɚðə pˌʌblɪkˈeɪʃən ʌv kɐnˈeɪdiən lˈɛsbiən ænd ɡˈeɪ hˈɪstɚɹi, pˈʌblɪʃɪŋ ðə fˈɜːst ˈɪntɚvjˌuː wɪð dʒˈɪm ˈiːɡən, kˈænədəz fˈɜːst pˈʌblɪk ɡˈeɪ ˈæktɪvˌɪst ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti z hˌuː ɪnˈɪʃɪˌeɪɾᵻd ɐ lˈɔːsuːt ˈiːɡən vˈiː kˈænədə ðæt ˈʌltᵻmətli lˈɛd, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈaɪv, tʊ ɐ lˈændmɑːɹk suːpɹˈiːm kˈoːɹt ʌv kˈænədə dᵻsˈɪʒən ɪntˈɜːpɹɪɾɪŋ ðə kɐnˈeɪdiən tʃˈɑːɹɾɚɹ ʌv ɹˈaɪts ænd fɹˈiːdəmz tə pɹəhˈɪbɪt dɪskɹˌɪmᵻnˈeɪʃən baɪ ðə stˈeɪt bˈeɪst ˌɔn sˈɛkʃuːəl ˌoːɹiəntˈeɪʃən.
Social statusRites was an important forum for the publication of Canadian lesbian and gay history, publishing the first interview with Jim Egan, Canada's first public gay activist in the 1950s (who initiated a lawsuit – Egan v Canada – that ultimately led, in 1995, to a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision interpreting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to prohibit discrimination by the state based on sexual orientation).