OTTAWA — The Liberal government is facing nationwide class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of LGBTQ people who say they were persecuted and fired from their jobs in the military and federal government.
Doug Elliott, a Toronto-based lawyer, says the gay and lesbian former civil servants and military members have been waiting too long for a negotiated settlement and that it is time to move on from "kind words" to action.
The Liberal government has promised a formal apology on behalf of the country to people in the LGBTQ community for past discrimination sanctioned by the state, but it remains to be seen whether this will come with compensation.
The military and government began pushing members of the LGBTQ community out of their jobs in the 1950s, with the "purge" continuing even after homosexuality was no longer a crime.
The military did not end its policy banning gay and lesbian people from service until 1992.
The class-action suits, filed in Montreal and Toronto on Monday, need to be certified by a court before they can proceed.
