LGBT harassment apology 'struck a chord' with former N.S. navy lieutenant

A Nova Scotian navy lieutenant who was forced out of his military post because of his sexual orientation has a glowing review of the official apology delivered this afternoon in the House of Commons.

"Overwhelmed. I did not expect the apology to be quite as sweeping and all-encompassing, and it certainly struck a chord with me," Frank Létourneau told CBC News just minutes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finished speaking.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an apology Tuesday afternoon following question period in the House of Commons. It was addressed to all military and RCMP members, plus federal civil servants who faced harassment on the job because of their sexual orientation.

The apology was very emotional, Létourneau said. He said some people he was sitting with were in tears as they listened to the prime minister speak.

Létourneau said he found the portions of the apology aimed at military members particularly touching.

"The part that addressed people like me, who served honourably in the military and were prepared to devote their lives to their country, and the apology that was aimed at us, that resonated with me very loudly," he said.

Létourneau resigned his lieutenant's commission in 1970 after military police presented him a dossier of evidence indicating he was living a secret life as a gay man.

At the time, it was forbidden for LGBT people to serve in the Canadian Forces, a policy that remained on the books until 1992.

Létourneau said he still has unanswered questions about the nature of the compensation for people like him who were forced out of the Canadian Forces, RCMP and the federal public service.

Trudeau alluded to the existence of an agreement in his remarks, but didn't give any further details.

There are also outstanding issues about access to secret government files detailing investigations into gay and lesbian employees, Létourneau said.

"There was very little said about documents that have been held secret up until now," he said.

But Létourneau said the apology is what feels important right now.

"The fact that the state has told me that they were sorry about what happened to me in 1970 — that's really my bottom line here today," he said.

Létourneau planned to attend a reception where he would have an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister and senior members of the Canadian Forces.

He said he also wants to thank the leaders of the movement who fought for this apology for many years, such as Egale and the We Demand an Apology Network.