On Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the country of Canada would be issuing an official apology to “LGBTQ2 Canadians” on Nov. 28.
The announcement came in the form of a tweet:
On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House - for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 19, 2017
According to the Globe and Mail, the apology will be for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or two-spirit people who have been fired from their government jobs because of their sexualities.
The Globe and Mail claims the apology “expected to be the most comprehensive ever offered by any national government for past persecution of sexual minorities.”
Douglas Elliott, the lawyer who handled the direct-action case for people who claim they were fired due to their sexuality, told the Globe and Mail, “I never thought I'd live to see the day.”
The Canadian Press reports in one such instance of anti-gay discrimination, a 20-year-old medical assistant with the Canadian Armed Forces, Martine Roy, was arrested and interrogated over her sexuality. She was later dishonorably discharged.
Roy told the Canadian Press the apology “means a lot.”
“It means even more coming from (Trudeau) because I know it's going to come from his heart,” she added.
The Canadian Press reports firings for homosexuality occurred between the 1950s and until 1992. The test to determine whether someone was gay was called the “fruit machine.”
The Globe and Mail notes that financial compensation has not been settled for those in the 2,000-person class-action suit who claim they were fired for their sexuality. The Canadian Press claims those negotiations are “underway.”
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