I am excited to have been asked to join the Monument Advisory Committee of the LGBT Purge Fund. The committee will advise on aspects of the development, engagement and visioning process of the LGBTQ2+ National Monument to be located in the nation’s capital, Ottawa.
LGBT members of the RCMP, public service and Canadian Armed Forces were systemically discriminated against, harassed and often fired as a matter of policy and sanctioned practice. They were followed, interrogated and abused. This shameful period is known as the “LGBT purge” and it generally took place in Canada from the 1950’s to the mid-1990’s.
The class action settlement with the federal government included funds for “reconciliation and memorialization measures”, including the construction of this national monument.
The Monument Advisory Committee comprises approximately twelve LGBT Purge survivors, community leaders, advocates, artists, historians and design professionals who will work closely with the LGBT Purge Fund Board to draft a first vision statement. The vision statement that emerges from this process will provide the foundation for the request for proposals issued by Heritage Canada in 2020.
I look forward to providing my input and expertise in this process, and working with the many other community members to realize this impactful project. I am grateful to the purge survivors for their generosity in including the LGBTQ community in this project.
More information on the LGBT Purge Fund can be found HERE.
