Survivor Stories,
LGBT Purge Fund
Read about the Survivor Stories series, a digital collection that preserves and honours the personal experiences of those affected by the LGBT Purge.
Beginning during the Cold War, the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and the federal public service enacted a systematic policy aimed at identifying and eliminating LGBTQI2S members from their workforce. This deeply discriminatory practice, known as the LGBT Purge, led to the unjust dismissal, harassment, and marginalization of countless individuals over several decades. To preserve and honour the stories of those affected, Know History worked with SandBay Entertainment and the LGBT Purge Fund to create the Survivor Stories series, a digital collection dedicated to the survivors of Canada’s LGBT Purge.
The LGBT Purge Fund, established following the 2018 LGBT Purge Class Action Settlement, is a non-profit organization committed to advancing reconciliation, education, and memorialization of this dark chapter in Canadian history. The Survivor Stories series is one of the key initiatives supported by the Fund, capturing the personal experiences of Purge survivors and ensuring that their voices are heard. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, all interviews were conducted virtually, allowing these important stories to be shared with a wider audience. Access the oral history interviews here:
