In March 2022, we announced that “Team Thunderhead,” led by Public City Architecture in Winnipeg, won the competition to design the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument. The selection of the winning team was made by the Monument’s jury, which carefully considered feedback from our Indigenous Circle, our Monument Advisory Committee, the National Capital Commission and the public.

Over this last year, in response to feedback from these stakeholders and rightsholders, and from the LGBT Purge Fund, the design has been refined and enhanced. What was a winning concept has been developed into a full-fledged, detailed design. While some aspects of the design may still be [...]

We are pleased to share new research by Sarah Worthman on discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQ+ soldiers during World War One.

Sarah Worthman is a Master’s student from Memorial University in St John’s, Newfoundland. She reached out to the Fund last year to discuss a research project that she was undertaking to reveal the untold queer history of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War One.

Through her research at Veterans Affairs Canada, Sarah had discovered records of some 35 men who were charged with gross indecency. It was a purge of men who were serving their country.

Drawing from records that had never been seen, [...]

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(on behalf of the Government of Canada) have reached a legal agreement regarding the provision of 15,000 more pages of historical documents relating to the LGBT Purge. This is great news, as it will allow us to receive more historical documents that will shed light on the government’s actions, policies and practices regarding the LGBT Purge.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 [...]