International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – 17 May 2023
By the Defence Team Pride Advisory Organization (DTPAO)
May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. Everyone has the right to be their true selves and feel safe. We invite everyone to join members of LGBTQ2+ community in supporting and reaffirming their fundamental right to be treated equally. Canada is a leader in promoting and protecting the human rights of the LGBTQ2+ community, but work remains to help end discrimination.
There are members still serving today that lived through the period between the 1950s and mid1990s that came to be known as the “LGBT Purge”. During this time, members of the LGBTQ2+ community in the CAF, as well as the RCMP and Federal Public Service, were persecuted for who they were, they were subject to abusive and violent actions that included investigating, sanctioning, and were often fired as a matter of policy. Sarah Fodey’s documentary, The Fruit Machine explores the homosexual witch-hunt during this period. Survivors recount their personal stories of dedication and betrayal at the hands of the Canadian government.
The Fruit Machine The miasma of despair born in pop-up interrogation rooms has long paralyzed these public servants and military members. This is their film. A film about the systematic dismissal of homosexual public servants in Canada from the 1950s through the 1990s; a story rooted in hope and a country’s struggle to do the right thing. https://www.tvo.org/video/documentaries/the-fruit-machine-feature-version
