UNB professor goes to Ottawa for Trudeau's historic LGBT apology
A professor from UNB travelled to Ottawa to hear the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's apology
An associate dean at the University of New Brunswick said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's apology to the LGBT community is an important first step in redressing a historical wrong.
Dr. Carmen Poulin was in Ottawa on Tuesday where Trudeau apologized to civil servants and military members who endured discrimination and injustice based on their sexual orientation.
Poulin has a personal connection to the apology.
Her life and research partner, Dr. Lynn Gouliquer, was a member of the military for 16 years when soldiers, police and members of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service [CSIS] were targeted because of their sexuality.
Poulin said people like her partner were forced to live two lives, hiding their sexuality from military investigators. She said Trudeau's apology is just the start of compensating those individuals for the persecution they endured.
"An opportunity to recognize the wrongs that have gone on for many years," she said.
She said Canadians often think of Canada as a place that honours the LGBT community, but its history suggests otherwise.
"Can Canada become the leader? Can Canada live up to it's supposed to be reputation?"
Women followed, interrogated by military
Poulin and Gouliquer have studied women and their experiences in the military when members were discharged for being LGBT.
Many of the people the two professors studied were followed, interrogated, and some even had their phones tapped.
"Once you were identified, you would lose your friends, your network," said Poulin. "You could be so isolated, just for the person you are."
Poulin said it's important for those people to see the government admitting they did something wrong.
"We have to try to repair it," she said.
Taking steps forward
Poulin said the impact of the gay purge by the military was horrific. Women told the two researchers about their mental health issues, poverty and even suicide following their encounters with investigators
"So I think it's an occasion for all of this to recognize the wrong and try to do better and never to forget in the future," said Poulin.
Poulin said the apology needs to be comprehensive and records that identified LGBT members as criminals need to be expunged.
"Names should be erased, any guilty status should be erased," she said. "You can't have a criminal record because of their sexual orientation."
She also said people who lost their jobs and livelihoods should be compensated and education should be provided to military leaders so discrimination can be stopped.
"We have a responsibility to remember," said Poulin.
With files from Harry Forestell