Diane Pitre and Steven P. Deschamps’ LGBT Purge Stories Told at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum

5 m

Aug 8, 2024

The LGBT Purge and the RCAF

During the Cold War, the Canadian government perceived lesbian and gay people as potential security threats who were at risk of being blackmailed, particularly by the Soviet Union. From the 1950s until the early 1990s, these fears played out within the federal public service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), in what has come to be known as “The LGBT Purge.” Through official policies and sanctioned practices, suspected LGBT members of the federal public service, the RCMP, and the CAF were systematically discriminated against. They faced intense interrogation and surveillance, often culminating in losing their jobs or being given limited responsibilities, which has left many Purge survivors with long-lasting trauma. A section of the new Cold War exhibition at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM) explores this history and how it relates to the CAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) through video interviews and artifacts from two Purge survivors who served with the RCAF, Diane Pitre and Steven P. Deschamps.

A young woman wearing a green Canadian Armed Forces uniform and winter jacket smiles while leaning on the hood of a car.

Photo Credit

Diane Pitre, ca 1978

Diane Pitre joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1977 as an airframe technician. She loved the work, but was purged from the military in 1980 for being a lesbian, following an intense two-year investigation.

Diane Pitre

Diane grew up in Campbellton, New Brunswick, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1977 at 18 years old, right after graduating high school. She was trained as an airframe technician and loved working with the aircraft, especially the McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo. But in 1978 she lost her security clearance on suspicion of being a lesbian and was retrained as a supply technician. After an intense two-year investigation, she was purged from the military, which devastated her. Reflecting on this experience, she remembers thinking to herself, “All I want to do is serve my country, and I'm not even good enough for that.”

Diane went on to have a long career outside the military, but she knew what had happened to her was not right. She has thus spent close to 40 years lobbying the Canadian government for an apology for the wrongful dismissals of herself and of others. This apology was received from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2017. Diane continues her activism through her work with LGBT Purge survivors and 2SLGBTQIA+ veterans. She is the founder and co-chair of the Rainbow Veterans of Canada, and was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2024 for her work in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ veterans.

Even though her CAF uniform holds painful memories, Diane has always kept it close. She said, “My uniform always came with me. It's always been a reminder. Believe it or not, sometime I would put it [on] – just the coat to say, ‛Oh, it still fits. It's not so bad.’ It's a big part of my life." That same uniform is now on display at CASM, where visitors can learn more about Diane and her experiences as a servicewoman, LGBT Purge survivor, and 2SLGBTQIA+ activist.

A black and white photo of a young man in a military uniform saluting towards wreaths. A large group of people stand in the background.

Photo Credit

Steven P. Deschamps, 1974

Steven P. Deschamps was a Royal Canadian Air Cadet in his hometown of Cornwall, Ontario, from 1969 until 1974. The Air Cadets were Steven’s first introduction to the RCAF, and went on to play an important role in his military career as he served as a Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer for more than 20 years.

Steven P. Deschamps

Lieutenant-Colonel Steven P. Deschamps CD (Ret’d) was born in Cornwall, Ontario, and has had a lifelong association with the RCAF. He first joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in 1969. He then enrolled in the RCAF Reserve in 1975, and in the Regular Forces in 1979 with the hopes of becoming a pilot. However, in 1982, Steven faced an interrogation on suspicion of being gay and was discharged from the RCAF because of his sexuality as part of the LGBT Purge. Reflecting on his discharge, Steven said, “They said that, ‛You are no longer advantageously employable.’ People who join the Armed Forces join to serve. To be told that you are no longer advantageously employable was devastating.” Steven went on to have a fulfilling career in the private sector. He still wanted to serve, however, so when the policy that formalized the LGBT Purge in the military was repealed in 1992, Steven rejoined as a Reserve Officer, serving with the Cadet Instructor Cadre and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets until his retirement in 2013. Working with the Air Cadets was something he found incredibly important and fulfilling, stating, “My world was in the Cadet world […] my service to the country of Canada was fostering and helping our youth.” In 2022, for his dedication to the Air Cadet Program and LGBT Purge education, Steven was appointed Honorary Colonel of 443 Squadron, Victoria, British Columbia, where he continues advocating for a more diverse and inclusive RCAF.

In 2024, Ingenium acquired the Steven P. Deschamps Collection, which consists of his Air Cadet uniform from 1974, his RCAF uniform from when he rejoined the RCAF in 1992, his senior officer’s cap, and his 2020 Canada Pride Citation. This collection represents a rare collecting opportunity because it features pieces from before and after Steven was purged. The collection materially represents his longstanding relationship with the RCAF, and allows for a comprehensive exploration of the impact the LGBT Purge has had on his life and career. Visitors will find Steven’s 1992 uniform jacket and Canada Pride Citation pin on display at CASM, while the other pieces are currently in storage at the Ingenium Centre.

In Their Own Voices

Accompanying photos and the artifacts belonging to Diane and Steven, the LGBT Purge section of the Cold War exhibition features a video kiosk where visitors can watch a series of short video interviews where the two reflect on their time with the RCAF, the LGBT Purge, and their current advocacy work. In these videos, Diane and Steven tell their experiences of the LGBT Purge in their own words, sharing this chapter of Canadian history with viewers in an honest way.

The Cold War exhibition marks the first time the history of the LGBT Purge been told at CASM. As we continually work towards telling more underrepresented and diverse stories at the museum, it is important to centre the voices of those most affected.

Diane and Steven’s video interviews featured in the Cold War exhibition can be found HERE.

A woman in a red polo T-shirt stands in front of a museum display case containing a military uniform jacket.

Photo Credit

Valerie Kaiyang Wood, 2024

Diane Pitre standing in front of her CAF uniform jacket on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

A man in a dark blue suit jacket stands in front of a museum display case containing a military uniform jacket and a small lozenge-shaped pin.

Photo Credit

Valerie Kaiyang Wood, 2024

Lieutenant-Colonel Steven P. Deschamps CD (Ret’d) standing in front of his RCAF uniform jacket and Canada Pride Citation pin on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

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