Human rights exhibit explores dark history of Canada's "LGBT Purge"

A new story exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, Man., is highlighting the legacy of a dark time in the country’s history. From the 1950s through the ’90s, thousands of federally employed Canadians working in the military, RCMP and public service were targeted and fired because of their sexual orientation or gender expression, in what has become known as the “LGBT Purge.”

Stories from this dark period are now the focus of the museum's new display, showcasing the history of Canadians who faced discrimination for decades because of their sexual orientation or gender expression. Many of the legal battles surrounding "the purge" have been fought and won by individuals who were targeted during that time.

"I fell in love during that time with a fellow officer, who happened to be a woman. I came under interrogation by military police for many days," Michelle Douglas recalled, who served with Canada's armed forces in the mid-1980's but was discharged in 1989. She decided she wouldn't go quietly and went on to launch a lawsuit against the military for mistreatment and discrimination.

As Drew Stremick reports, the CMHR's display is only the start of sharing such stories.

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