Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge opens today at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (AARON COHEN / CMHR)
WINNIPEG — A powerful new exhibition opening at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is bringing overdue attention to one of Canada’s darkest chapters — the systematic persecution of 2SLGBTQI+ individuals in the federal government.
Titled Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge, the exhibition opens today and explores the decades-long discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQI+ members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and the federal public service. Between the 1950s and the 1990s, more than 9,000 people were investigated, harassed, and dismissed due to their sexual orientation or gender identity — a policy now known as the LGBT Purge.
The exhibition traces the origins of this discrimination to Cold War-era paranoia and shares survivor testimonies, government records, and artistic works that document the long struggle for justice. Among those featured is Michelle Douglas, executive director of the LGBT Purge Fund, who was expelled from the military for being a lesbian.
“One of the more devastating, shattering parts of being purged is the feeling that you are completely alone,” said Douglas. “The fight that has been carried for decades by survivors of the Purge is a testament to the fact that we were not alone. By sharing our stories, by naming what happened to us, we make sure that we are never alone, and that generations of Canadians will hopefully never again have to endure persecution for being part of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.”
Douglas’ legal challenge against the military’s discriminatory policies led to their repeal in 1992. In 2016, survivors launched a class-action lawsuit, which resulted in a $145 million settlement and a formal government apology in 2018. Part of the settlement funds were allocated to legacy projects like this exhibition to honour those who suffered under the policy, including those who did not live to see justice.
The exhibit will run until early 2026 before touring across Canada. The CMHR has also launched a travelling pop-up version currently on display on Vancouver Island and a permanent installation in its Canadian Journeys gallery.
Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge opens today at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (AARON COHEN / CMHR)
