Canada to memorialize LGBT victims of Cold War-era ‘gay purge’ - The Washgton Post

gay canadian soldiers

The women served the Canadian ary the 1980s, at a time when CFAO 19-20 was still place: a ban on homosexualy the armed forc. They were terrogated, timidated and dismissed bee they were gay. Each has a paful story to share.

Contents:

TIMELE OF GAY RIGHTS THE CANADIAN ARY

* gay canadian soldiers *

'Our llective shame': T livers historic apology to LGBT CanadiansANALYSIS | 'A turng pot': Power of apology li buildg the future, not tearg down the pastAfter meetg another woman, Pre was fally dismissed 1980 "for the simple reason as beg homosexual. (CBC News/Contributed)"Your release is acrdance wh the Canadian Forc' current policy on homosexuals, " says the 1985 letter signed by Gen. $100 ln for gay purge victims as PM apologiz for LGBTQ discrimatnCanadian ernment and former feral employe reach settlement 'gay purge'A $15-ln fund was tablished for numero renciliatn projects that acknowledge "the purge" perd, Douglas said — cludg an exhib at the Canadian Mm for Human Rights Wnipeg 2023 and a natnal monument for Ottawa  2024.

The RCAMC classified gay men as “psychopathic personali, ” along wh “chronic lquents, chronic alholics, and dg addicts. The medil rps also nsired gay men to lack “tthfulns, cency, rponsibily, and nsiratn.

The ary also ed the Naval Disciple Act and the Army and Air Force Act to target gay men already servg the forc.

MY FATHER, THE GAY PURGE OF THE CANADIAN MILARY, AND ME

"It is tough imagg my father vtigatg gays and lbians, turng them to his superrs who would then dm them out of the ary. His actns ed liv." * gay canadian soldiers *

At the time, homosexual offenc did not apply to.

When a soldier’s guilt was asssed, the “gree” of their homosexualy was taken to nsiratn.

CANADA TO MEMORIALIZE LGBT VICTIMS OF COLD WAR-ERA ‘GAY PURGE’

Aaron Belk, Jason McNichol, Homosexual Personnel Policy the Canadian Forc: Did Liftg the Gay Ban Unrme Milary Performance?, Internatnal Journal, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Wter, 2000/2001), pp. 73-88 * gay canadian soldiers *

For example, a distctn was ma between a “te homosexual, ” a man who exclively slept wh other men, vers someone who only looked for an “outlet”. Dependg on the un, gay men were sometim accepted que openly.

Categorizg gay men as “psychopathic” helped lay the groundwork for their purge the postwar perd. gays or lbians the service and given the “choice” to rign wh an honourable discharge, or face urt-martial and a dishonourable discharge. ” Officials tensified their purge, which now clud lbians, spe a 1969 amendment to feral law that partially crimalized homosexual acts.

SOLDIERS MARCH TORONTO GAY PRI PARA

In 1976, the reference to “sexual viat” was replaced wh “homosexual members. Regulatns regardg “sndalo nduct by officers, ” and “disgraceful nduct” by all ary personnel ntued to make homosexualy a punishable offence the ary. Milary terrogatns of spected gays and lbians were often huiatg.

” LGBTQ recs uld also be at risk of vlence om their peers due to homophobia. discrimatory policy ndoned homophobia and created the potential for blackmail and ercn the first place.

gays and lbians 1992. Her fdgs have jt been published unr the spic of the LGBT Purge Fund, a non-prof anizatn tablished through a class-actn settlement wh Ottawa was a key element of a sweepg feral apology livered November 2017 for s of discrimatn agast members of the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny.

VLATG GENR NORMS THE CANADIAN MILARY: THE EXPERIENC OF GAY AND LBIAN SOLDIERS

In addn, terms such as gay, bisexual, transgenr and even homosexual are relatively morn inty markers, she a queer person, Worthman shed tears readg through the fil, realizg what members of her muny went through a century ago. “The story of the men and their persecutn should not be seen as a shameful isolated cint Canadian history but stead as an example of the long-standg polici and prcipl that have evolved to the opprsn that queer people still face Canada today, ” she polici that beme embedd the 1950s and ntued to the early ’90s, feral agenci vtigated, sanctned and sometim fired lbian and gay members of the Canadian Armed Forc, the RCMP and the public service bee they were emed who kept their jobs were moted or overlooked for promotns or had secury clearanc class-actn settlement clud lns of dollars for renciliatn and remembrance measur, cludg a natnal monument to be built Ottawa and classifitn of archival rerds documentg the dark chapter. Emotnal srs rema for gay ex-ary subjected to terrogatns, dismissals.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY CANADIAN SOLDIERS

Canada to memorialize LGBT victims of Cold War-era ‘gay purge’ - The Washgton Post .

TOP