In July 2024, we placed tobacco deep in the foundations of the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument with the support of Elder Claudette Commanda from the Kitigan Zibi First Nation.

It was a moving afternoon. We walked onto the site after a fierce thunderstorm and found that, by surprise, we were 13 people in the circle. This number is important as it represents the 13 moon cycles in the Anishinabe calendar and the 13 sections on the turtle’s back. It also, of course, represents the 13 provinces and territories. The ceremony was emotional, beautiful and powerful. It was a very special moment on the journey [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON, May 1, 2024 – Today, shovels broke ground at the site of Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument in Ottawa. Called Thunderhead, this monument is being built to recognize historic discrimination faced by generations of 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada, including the colonial roots of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and the cruelty of the Canadian government during the LGBT Purge. It will celebrate the resilience of all queer and trans communities and serve to inspire the change still needed in Canada.

The Monument’s proponent — the LGBT Purge Fund — marked the historic milestone with members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, LGBT Purge survivors, [...]

In 2023, the LGBT Purge Fund developed the interpretative content for the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument. This content includes the words, quotes, images and captions that will tell the story of 2SLGBTQI+ discrimination in Canada, including the colonial roots of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and the cruelty of the Canadian government during the LGBT Purge. It also tells stories of community resistance and resilience and urges vigilance in the face of ongoing hate.

Key messages will be communicated within the monument’s site on an entry panel and on a long interpretive wall. Two on-site freestanding panels will also describe the design of the Monument [...]

2023 was a big year for a number of our team members.

For one, our Chair, Martine Roy, was awarded the Order of Canada for her tireless efforts as an executive leader, activist and advocate of diversity, inclusion and equity in Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Congratulations Martine! We are so proud of you.

In 2023, our Executive Director, Michelle Douglas, was named the Canadian Armed Forces’ first Honorary Colonel for Chief, Professional Conduct and Culture. This position will allow Michelle to continue her life-long project of changing military culture and improving the federal workplace, especially for 2SLGBTQI+ people. We wish Michelle every success!

Board of directors [...]

In May 2023, Halifax hosted the 7th quadrennial Unison Festival — a choral event featuring Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ choruses. The first festival was held in Edmonton in 1998 and festivals have since been held in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Calgary. You can learn more about about the festival here.

The event in Halifax drew 22 choirs and over 1000 attendees, including members of the LGBT Purge Fund Board, who attended to see the three choral works commissioned by the Fund about the LGBT Purge. The pieces were poignant and powerful. Watch them here!

 

 

The Commanded Heart
TTBB Festival Chorus, conducted by Willi Zwozdesky