After challenging negotiations that lasted more than one year, the LGBT Purge Fund and the Department of Justice (on behalf of the Government of Canada) have reached a legal agreement regarding the provision of 15,000 more pages of historical documents relating to the LGBT Purge. This is great news, as it will allow us to receive more historical documents that will shed light on the government’s actions, policies and practices regarding the LGBT Purge. These records will be provided to us over the next two years. The LGBT Purge Fund will make these records available to the public, along with the [...]

The LGBT Purge Fund is honored to keep two eagle feathers: one gifted at the Monument’s First Indigenous Circle by Leigh Thomas, a Two-Spirit non-binary veteran from Pelican Lake First Nation; and the other by Two-Spirit Eagle Clan Michif person from St Boniface, Manitoba and citizen of the Métis Nation, Benny Michaud. These feathers represent both suffering and resilience.

Benny also created this beautiful and thoughtfully beaded case to carry the feathers. Benny told us that:

“The three poppies are for all Indigenous peoples impacted by the Purge (First Nations, Métis and Inuit). The various stems leading out to the berries represent dreams cut [...]

October 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the lawsuit brought by Michelle Douglas that ended the ban on LGBT people serving in the military. The month was an important time to celebrate, reflect and fight for what still needs to be done for full inclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ folks in the federal workplace. Our work over the past month had the twin objectives of raising awareness about the LGBT Purge and bringing attention to a report we published last May called “Emerging from the Purge.”

Michelle began the month travelling to five cities in Canada to meet survivors and share stories about the LGBT [...]

We’re now calling our flagship project the “2SLGBTQI+ National Monument.” The LGBT Purge Fund is embracing this more inclusive name following calls from our community and because of the importance of recognizing – and leading with – Two-Spirit experience.

We recognize that our acronym is always changing and may never be perfect. We also understand that shifting letters is no substitute for meaningful inclusion and the hard work of reconciliation. And still, this change speaks to our values and approach, and is the right move for the Fund at this time.

The 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument will be a place to learn about the LGBT Purge, and wider discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada and its rootedness in colonization. We have brought together a group of experts to guide the Fund as we identify the key messages that will be told on site and on the Monument’s future companion website.

The Education and Interpretation Committee (or EIC) is currently composed of nine members from diverse fields of expertise, including: community activism; curation; community history; story-telling; archive management; public education; and more. Members include:

Alex Wilson is Neyonawak Inniniwak from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. She is a [...]