Remembrance Day | Victims of the ‘LGBT purge’ in the army lay a wreath

(Montreal) Private Martine Roy was only 20 years old in 1984 when she was arrested, questioned and then expelled from the Canadian Armed Forces for what was then called “sexual deviance”.

After fighting for the right to be recognized as a “veteran”, she laid a wreath on Monday during the Remembrance Day ceremony in Montreal, on behalf of the victims of the wave of persecution within the Forces known as name of the “LGBT purge”.

M^me Roy was one of the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit that led to a $145 million settlement and federal apology in 2017 for decades of discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. .

The Montreal native says her discharge from the Armed Forces affected every aspect of her life and she struggled for years with shame and fear of being subjected to further discrimination in the workplace.

M^me Roy says attending Remembrance Day ceremonies allows her to feel like a veteran who is proud to be a part of the military and commemorates others who have had similar experiences but are no longer envy.

She points out that part of the funds from the legal settlement are being used for initiatives that honor the contributions of Canada’s LGBTQ+ veterans, including the possible construction of a monument in Ottawa dedicated to survivors of the purge.