More than 40 years after being told she was a threat to Canada because of her sexuality, Diane Pitre is being given one of the country’s top honours.
The advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ members of the Canadian Armed Forces, who was kicked out of the service in 1980 as part of what has become known as The Purge, is among 88 new appointees to the Order of Canada announced Wednesday.
They include Deadpool movie star Ryan Reynolds, Holocaust survivor and educator Mariette Doduck, geneticist David Chitayat, curler Kevin Martin and Heather Rankin, a member of the award-winning band The Rankin Family.
It’s an honour Pitre said she’s still trying to wrap her head around.
“I’m still in shock, and it’s surreal for me. I never expected it,” Pitre said from her home in Campbellton, N.B.
Pitre spent decades after being kicked out of the military lobbying for an apology from the government.
That came in 2017 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood in the House of Commons and apologized for past state-sanctioned discrimination against members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Canada.
Douglas Elliott, lead counsel in a class-action lawsuit related to The Purge, was also appointed to the Order of Canada this year.
This year’s list of Canadians deemed to have made extraordinary contributions to the country features scientists including internationally recognized E. coli expert Carlton Gyles, pediatric neuro-oncology researcher Nada Jabado and speech-language pathologist Aura Kagan.
Musicians and artists on the list include Don Alder, one of the top acoustic fingerstyle guitarists in the world, internationally renowned sculptor Ruth Abernethy, and multimedia artist Stan Douglas.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon thanked the appointees for their “perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit.”
“Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future. Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries,” she said in a statement.
Disability rights expert Michael Prince said he choked up telling his wife about his appointment.
“Sometimes you just don’t know where the feeling comes from, it just sort of overwhelmed me,” he said.
“I think just the importance of it, or the significance of it was quite profound. I could barely get the words out.”
A University of Victoria professor, Prince has advised federal, provincial and territorial governments on disability rights and served on four royal commissions.
He most recently made news when he resigned in April from the federal government’s disability advisory group over what he said was the inadequate funding of the Canada Disability Benefit.
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Michael Prince, a social policy professor at the University of Victoria, resigned his position on a federal disability advisory group in protest of funding that falls well short of what people who live with a disability have been calling for.
Canadian curling superstar Martin said he doesn’t know who nominated him for the award but called it a surprise and an honour.
Martin, whose resumé includes a world championship in 2008, a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and four gold medals at the Brier, also holds the record for Grand Slam titles with 17.
Rideau Hall credits Martin with helping to guide the sport’s competitive development and contributing to the sport as a broadcaster, speaker, business person and teacher.
“You try your best at whatever it is you’re doing to grow whatever part of society you tend to to live in, and do your best,” he said.
“And if something like this happens, that’s fantastic. But it’s unexpected.”
Pitre is the founder and co-chair of Rainbow Veterans of Canada and said she will continue her work even though progress has been made.
“I’ve been doing this for so long, and I’m going to continue doing it because you don’t want things to change [back]. You never know when those things can happen again,” she said.
New members of the order are invited to a ceremony to receive their insignia. A statement from Rideau Hall says ceremonies will be announced “in due course.”
