In an emotional tribute at Montreal’s Remembrance Day ceremony held in Place du Canada, LGBTQ+ purge survivors Martine Roy and Peggy Hayes laid a wreath to honour those impacted by the Canadian government’s historic “LGBTQ+ Purge.”
This LGBTQ+ Purge campaign, which was active from the 1950s through the mid-1990s, targeted LGBTQ+ members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), RCMP, and federal public service, leading to surveillance, harassment, and dismissals based on sexual orientation.
The wreath-laying served not only as a commemoration of those who suffered but also as an opportunity for healing and reconciliation, acknowledging the progress made by the CAF in recent years on inclusivity.
Martine Roy, who leads the Purge Survivors Class Action, was dismissed from the CAF at just 20 due to her sexual orientation. She has since dedicated her life to defending LGBTQ+ rights and was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2023 for her efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Peggy Hayes, who served as an air traffic controller in the CAF until her discharge in 1982 for her sexual orientation, joined Roy at the ceremony to honour the memories of those affected by the purge and to stand as a testament to resilience.
The ceremony also drew attention to the work of Sarah Worthman, a master’s candidate at Memorial University, who is researching discrimination against queer servicemen during World War I. Her findings include documentation from Veterans Affairs Canada on cases of 35 servicemen accused of “gross indecency,” a discovery that underscores the long history of LGBTQ+ discrimination within the military.
During the LGBTQ+ Purge, an estimated 9,000 people across the CAF, RCMP, and federal public service experienced invasive questioning, harassment, and other forms of abuse sanctioned at the highest levels of government. This period of Cold War paranoia and state-sanctioned discrimination left many victims without jobs, benefits, and pensions, resulting in profound psychological trauma and leading to issues like depression, PTSD, and social isolation.
A class-action lawsuit launched in 2016 by survivors led to a landmark settlement with the Canadian government in 2018. Along with compensating victims, the settlement established the LGBT Purge Fund to support initiatives for reconciliation and commemoration. This fund, overseen by a board that includes purge survivors, legal representatives, and plaintiffs, works to ensure that the experiences of those affected are remembered and honoured.
