New Ottawa Monument Honors Victims of Canada's 'LGBT Purge'

A new monument in Ottawa, titled "Thunderhead," has been unveiled to commemorate the 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians targeted during a period of systematic discrimination known as the LGBT Purge. According to CBC News, the monument features a cylindrical shell broken open by a thundercloud containing thousands of tiny mirrors designed to sparkle with light.

Reporting from CBC News indicates that between the Cold War era and the 1990s, an estimated 9,000 individuals were harassed, forced to resign, or fired from the military, the civil service, and the RCMP. These purges were driven by the prejudiced belief that sexual orientation constituted a security risk that Soviet operatives could exploit for blackmail.

For those affected, the loss extended beyond professional titles. Wayne Davis, a Vancouver resident and former RCMP staff sergeant, recalled being told in 1985 to either quit or be fired after admitting he had visited a gay bar. Davis told CBC News that many victims suffered in silence, losing not only their careers but also connections to their families due to shame.

Similarly, Elenore Sturko, an Independent MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale and former Mountie, shared the story of her great uncle, Sgt. Robert David Van Norman. A decorated officer who served in Canada's north and learned Inuktitut, Van Norman was forced to resign in 1964 after being spotted at a gay hangout in Ottawa. Sturko noted that Van Norman forfeited his pension and died in poverty from AIDS in 1988.

While former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an official apology for the purge in 2017, Davis says the visibility of the Thunderhead monument ensures that future generations will not forget this chapter of Canadian history.