Victims of LGBT purge to share their experience

REGINA Michelle Douglas served as in the military police branch of the air force for three years.

But shortly after she arrived, she became the subject of an investigation herself.

“I entered the military with the hope of having a long career there, I wanted to be a military police officer,” she said.

“I had an extremely good service record, I was a top candidate in every course I took, but that didn’t matter. I became subjected to interrogation by the military, and was ultimately fired by them in 1989 for being ‘not advantageously employable, due to homosexuality.’”

Between the 1950s and the mid1990s, LGBT members of the Canadian Forces, the RCMP, and the federal public service were continuously discriminated against, and often fired because of their sexuality.

At the time, this type of treatment was sanctioned practice, in a policy now referred to as the LGBT purge.

According to Douglas, she endured intense harassment and interrogation, including being subjected to a polygraph, and “days long interrogation in hotel rooms.”

Douglas launched a legal challenge after she was dismissed, and in 1992, her lawsuit was successful, overturning the military’s policies against LGBT people serving in the military.

Wayne Davis joined the RCMP in 1967. Eighteen years later, he was also forced out because of his sexuality.

“Someone saw me in a gay bar and decided to go back and report it,” he said.

“I was called in one day and was taken into the head of administration’s office, and they simply said ‘You were seen in a gay bar on the weekend. Why were you in a gay bar?’ And I said ‘Well, that would be because I’m gay.’ ”

Both Davis and Douglas are board members for the LGBT Purge Fund, a non-profit organization. They will be in Regina and Moose Jaw this week to not only speak about their experiences, but to raise awareness about compensation for survivors, and the upcoming deadline.

Up to $110 million was set aside for payment of the damages to victims when a settlement was reached in June 2018 for the class-action lawsuit launched by survivors of the LGBT purge. The deadline to apply for compensation is April 25, 2019. For more information about eligibility, visit www.lgbtpurgesettlement.com, or call 1-833-346-6178.

Douglas and Davis will be speaking on March 15 in Regina at 2:30 p.m. at the Regina Public Library Film Theatre, and at 7 p.m. at the University of Regina. On March 16, they will be speaking at the Canadian Forces Base in Moose Jaw at 4:30 p.m.