Canada Unveils LGBT Purge Monument
The Thunderhead Monument, designed by Winnipeg artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, recognizes the harm caused by the Canadian government's historic discrimination against the LGBT community, with a design that depicts the strength and resilience of queer communities, and is set to be unveiled in Ottawa on Friday
A national monument called Thunderhead, designed by Winnipeg artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, is set to be unveiled in Ottawa on Friday. The monument recognizes the harm caused by the Canadian government's historic discrimination against the LGBT community, known as the LGBT Purge.
The Thunderhead Monument was designed by Dempsey and Millan, two visual artists from Winnipeg, who were part of the team that won an international design competition in 2020. The monument depicts the strength, hope, and resilience of queer communities in Canada.
The LGBT Purge was a systemic, decades-long campaign by the Canadian government to identify and expel thousands of queer members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and members of the federal public service between the 1950s and the 1990s. A class-action lawsuit was launched in 2016 against the federal government over the LGBT Purge, and a settlement was reached in 2018.
The Thunderhead Monument is funded by the LGBT Purge Fund, a non-profit corporation established as part of the settlement to manage funds dedicated to reconciliation and memorialization efforts. The monument serves as a reminder of the harm caused by the LGBT Purge and the strength and resilience of the queer community.
## Why it matters The unveiling of the Thunderhead Monument is a significant step towards reconciliation and recognition of the harm caused by the Canadian government's historic discrimination against the LGBT community. The monument will serve as a reminder of the past and a symbol of hope and resilience for the queer community. The LGBT Purge had a profound impact on the lives of thousands of people, and the monument is a testament to the community's strength and determination to fight for their rights.
The design of the monument, which features a thunderhead cloud over the Prairies, is meant to evoke the feeling of being part of a community and experiencing something uplifting and energizing. The monument is a powerful symbol of the queer community's struggle for rights and recognition, and its unveiling is an important step towards healing and reconciliation.
