Hendricks, originally from New Jersey, came to Canada as a draft dodger during the Vietnam War; he met LeBoeuf, a native of Quebec City, at a New Year's party in the 1970s. The couple began in 1996 to lead protests and parades seeking the right to marry. In November 2001, the couple brought suit against the government of Quebec, asserting that its refusal to perform same-sex marriage violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The case began on November 8. On March 19, the Quebec Court of Appeal struck down the delay and ruled that same-sex marriage licences be issued immediately.