Canadian military policy with respect to LGBT sexuality has changed in the course of the 20th century from being intolerant and repressive to accepting and supportive.
This device was created with the objective of identifying perceived and actual homosexuals in the Canadian military in order to protect the organization from blackmail by Soviet Union spies.
[2] Based on the results of the fruit machine evaluation, members of the CF were removed, having their careers ruined, their privacy invaded, and their lives destroyed.
[3] Within the Military Police (MP), a Special Investigation Unit (SIU), based in Halifax, was in charge of purging gay people from the Armed Forces.
The procedure against a “gay suspect” started with the local MPs making a complete search of his quarters on the Base or apartment in town—without a warrant.
The sessions could last several hours, using various tactics such as insults, comments, and threats of a court-martial, jail term, forced labor (for the Navy), or a dishonorable discharge.
In October 1992, just before Douglas' legal challenge went to trial, the Canadian military abandoned its policy banning gays and lesbians and settled the case.
Order CFAO-19-20 was repealed, thereby allowing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces.
While this marked the official end of what was known as the LGBT Purge, 2SLGBTQI+[clarification needed] service members and public servants faced overt discrimination throughout the 1990s.
[4][5] A series of provincial and territorial court decisions beginning in 2003 ruled in favour of the legality of gay marriage, and a national law to that effect was passed by Canada's parliament in 2005 by the Paul Martin Liberal government.
Davin was subsequently interviewed by Kathleen Petty on CBC Newsworld, Arlene Bynon on Global and his story appeared in newspapers across the country.
(19) Emotional scars remain for gay ex-military subjected to interrogations, dismissals at Emotional scars remain for gay ex-military subjected to interrogations, dismissals (20) LGBT ban in the military: Ex-soldiers share their painful stories at LGBT ban in the military: Ex-soldiers share their painful stories (21) The New York Times (International edition), 25–26 November 2017, p. 5 These two American books describe hundreds of cases of military personnel interrogated for being gay or lesbian.
In THE UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for the historical treatment of LGBT veterans who were sacked or forced out of the military for being gay.
Addressing MPs, the prime minister said: "Many endured the most horrific sexual abuse and violence, homophobic bullying and harassment all while bravely serving this country."