Fighting to belong: Stories from the LGBT Purge

Diane Pitre CM is a veteran, LGBT Purge survivor and activist. She joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1977 as an air frame technician, but in 1978 she lost her security clearance on suspicion of being a lesbian and was purged from the military following a two-year investigation. Diane has spent close to 40 years lobbying the Canadian government for an apology for the wrongful dismissals of herself and others, which was received in 2017 from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Diane continues her activism through her work with LGBT Purge survivors and 2SLGBTQIA+ veterans, including founding the Rainbow Veterans of Canada. In 2024, in recognition for her long-standing 2SLGBTQIA+ veteran advocacy and support, Diane was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation and appointed to the Order of Canada. She has also worked with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum by donating artifacts and contributing an oral history to the museum’s Cold War exhibition.

Lieutenant-Colonel Steven P. Deschamps CD (Ret’d) is an LGBT Purge survivor and the Honorary Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) 443 Squadron. He joined the RCAF in 1979 in the hopes of becoming a pilot. However, in 1982, Steven was purged from the RCAF for being gay. In 1992 Steven rejoined the RCAF, serving with the Cadet Instructors Cadre until 2013. He is dedicated to LGBT Purge education and activism and has served on the Board of Directors of the Rainbow Veterans of Canada, the Minister of Veteran Affairs Advisory Group for Families, and the Advisory Council at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. His memoir, My Purge Story: A First Hand Account from a Gay Purge Survivor was published in 2024. Steven has also worked with the Canada Aviation and Space Museum by donating artifacts and contributing an oral history to the museum’s Cold War exhibition.