October 1 2024

Created in 1994 by gay history teacher Rodney Wilson, LGBT History Month continues to be observed yearly in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day. Today, the month serves as an opportunity to learn about the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ people and movements.

Thought of today as one of the safest countries in the world for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, Canadian laws didn’t always protect 2SLGBTQIA+ rights. During the Cold War, the federal government decided that 2SLGBTQIA+ people could be possible targets for blackmail and were therefore a national security risk. This unfounded, homophobic fear led to the “LGBT Purge” that occurred between the 1950s and 1990s.

Federal public servants, members of the Canadian Armed Forces, and the RCMP suspected of being gay or lesbian were placed under surveillance, interrogated, fired, denied promotions, and discriminated against. Thousands of 2SLGBTQIA+ workers and service people (predominantly gay men) were abused, demoted, and fired—all with the blessing of the federal government—despite the fact that sexual activity between men over the age of 21 was decriminalized in 1969. The LGBT Purge also contributed to homophobia and abuse against 2SLGBTQIA+ people employed in the private sector and in other areas of Canadian society.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) acknowledges the rich history of 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada. NUPGE also recognizes that the moral panic around homosexuality that led to the LGBT Purge is being repeated today with transgender and gender-diverse people as the targets. NUPGE is committed to upholding the rights of all 2SLGBTQIA+ people and combating the spread of misinformation and hatred.

Learn more about the LGBT Purge in the documentary The Fruit Machine.