Canadian Lawyer

30 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m Newfoundland was also purged that year. Despite the publicity of these events, nothing changed. Diane Pitre suffered not only ongoing surveillance and ques- tioning by the SIU while at CFB Chatham near Halifax and CFB Borden in Ontario but was subjected to months of psychiatric evaluations. Pitre describes being 18 and undergoing her first SIU interrogation at a mysterious Halifax location in 1977: "This was like 10 o'clock at night and it lasted way into the morning and then they drove me to the base, dropped me off in a psych ward, then they picked me up in the morning. And they did that for two, three days: investigation, lie detector tests, psych ward, then back to my base." The two SIU operatives continuously asked her highly personal questions: Who is the man in the relationship? Do you like to masturbate in front of a mirror? Who takes the garbage out? Do you use a dildo? Do you hate men? As word got out on the base about the investigation, the obscene phone calls and name-calling started. Pitre was sexually assaulted by a drunken male corporal, who was never brought to bear for the crime. It became too much, and on Sept. 24, 1980, she was forced to quit. The harassment was so severe she and her partner left town. For decades, all Pitre wanted was an apology for her treat- ment. She approached MP Svend Robinson among others. She wrote dozens of letters, including to senior military officer Michel Drapeau (now retired and practising law). Drapeau's response, she says, was essentially that it was never going to happen. Martine Roy, too, was subjected to multiple humiliating and degrading SIU interrogations and strung along for years until one day, in December 1984, she was called in to the office at CFB Borden and told she had nine days to pack up her stuff and get out. She was a sexual deviant and was being discharged for homosexuality, she was told. Roy returned home to Quebec, broken. She and her father wrote letters of grievance to everyone from commanding officers to the chief of defence staff and even then-governor general Jeanne Sauvé. Every time, they were told "that was the law and there was nothing they could do. That took five years," says Roy. For years, she struggled with drug addiction, underwent intensive therapy, had difficulty maintaining relation- ships and lived with the constant fear and anxiety of rejection for being her real self. Lawyers were not immune from the discrimination either. In 1974, 17-year-old Michael Fox joined the army reserve then served a year as a UN peacekeeper. "I suspected I was gay, but at that age and in that time, I thought that since it had only recently been decriminalized and was still contrary to military law, it was utterly immoral and I vowed to remain celibate," he recalls. As he completed more of his education and began naval officer training, Fox realized it would be impossible to keep this vow of celibacy even though "my attitude then, and still is, that the best antidote to prejudice is to be out and quietly competent. Unfortunately, being out was not an option back then." He saw the SIU conduct anti-gay operations in Halifax, arresting and discharging sailors. 82 Scollard Street, Toronto, Canada, M5R 1G2 Contact Stacey Ball at (416) 921-7997 ext. 225 or srball@82scollard.com web: www.staceyball.com Ball Professional Corporation Excellence in Employment & Labour Law • Counsel in Leading Cases • • Author of Leading Treatise • Wrongful Dismissal Employment Law Human Rights Post Employment Competition Civil Litigation Appellate Advocacy Disability Referrals on behalf of employees and employers respected all_CL_Mar_12.indd 1 12-03-13 2:27 PM Order # 804218-65203 $537 2 volume looseleaf supplemented book Anticipated upkeep cost – $480 per supplement 4-6 supplements per year Supplements invoiced separately 0-88804-218-3 Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Jurisdiction: Canada (National) Canadian Employment Law Stacey Reginald Ball More than 7,000 cases cited Canadian Employment Law is a one-stop reference that provides a thorough survey of the law and analysis of developing trends, suggesting potential avenues of attack as well as identifying potential weaknesses in the law. Canadian Employment Law has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada, in superior courts in every province in Canada, and is used in law schools throughout Canada. Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Also available online on WestlawNext® Canada EmploymentSource™ © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00234UC-84746-CE Also available through your web browser or download to your desktop or tablet. Learn more about ProView eBooks at store.thomsonreuters.com/ ProView * Thomson Reuters ProView options not applicable to bookstores, academic institutions, and students.

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