Summary

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau begins his remarks to apologise to LGBTQ2 Canadians by stating that serving your fellow citizens is a calling of the highest order. He then asks the audience to imagine being rejected by the country they dedicated their lives to because of their sexual orientation.

Trudeau then announces that his speech will approach the topic of LGBTQ2 persecution at the hands of the Canadian government. He speaks about the criminalisation of homosexual activities and about the devastating impact this had on LGBTQ2 Canadians.

The Prime Minister then provides many details on the Purge, a government campaign that lasted from the 1950s until the 1990s. The campaign was meant to remove LGBTQ2 individuals from their jobs in the public service, as they were considered vulnerable to blackmail by Canada’s political adversaries. During the Purge, LGBTQ2 Canadians and those who were suspected to...