The Canadian government will apologize to gay men and women convicted for “gross indecency” and those forced out of the military for their sexual orientation in a formal statement on November 28, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Sunday.
On November 28, the Government will offer a formal apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians in the House – for the persecution & injustices they have suffered, and to advance together on the path to equality & inclusion.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 19, 2017
Trudeau promised to issue the apology more than a year ago after Egale Canada, a group that advocates for the rights of sexual minorities, released a report on the matter and made a number of recommendations including that a formal apology be issued.
The government has been consulting with Egale and others to determine the best way to approach the apology.
A spokeswoman for Egale said on Sunday that having a date is “exciting.”
“We think it's long overdue,” said Jennifer Boyce.
Canada is also facing a class action suit from more than 2,000 people who say they were persecuted by the federal government for their sexual orientation. Negotiations to settle that suit are underway.
