Those who were gay during the ‘Fruit Machine’ era will find acceptance and support at Capital Pride
Posted Aug 27, 2022 11:00:00 PM.
The Capital Pride Festival celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and is a beacon for inclusivity and love. But decades ago, it wouldn't have been possible, the climate in Ottawa far more hostile and less accepting toward the community.
George Hartsgrove, a member of the Ottawa Seniors Pride Network, told The Sam Laprade Show with co-host Jason White, live on location for Capital Pride on Aug. 27, that 30 years ago, he never would have imagined a pride festival like this.
“It was illegal to be who we are back then,” he said, adding that during the Fruit Machine era in Ottawa — a time when the RCMP actively tried to root out queer people in the Federal Government — people lost their jobs, family and sometimes committed suicide for identifying as gay.
The purge lasted until the nineties, he said, and some people who have just retired from the government still carry the trauma and are coming out later in life.
Whether you're young and coming out in a more accepting climate or older, still remembering a time when being gay was illegal, there are support services throughout Ottawa that embrace the LGBTQ+ community.
Lisa Montroy, trainer and public education worker for Family Services Ottawa, told The Sam Laprade Show, that they offer support services to LGBTQI+ people in the community and their families.
The programs they offer include peer support groups, youth groups, and public education and training to improve inclusivity for the LGBTQ community.
They also connect parents to other parents, which helps reduce any anxiety they may have about their child and teaches them skills of support.
“They realize, 'yeah, I can do this, you know, I need to educate myself a little bit, but at the core of it is loving and supporting my kid. And I've already got that down,'” she said.
Thirty years ago, a celebration like this would have been unheard of; now, the city of Ottawa embraces it.
“It's absolutely fantastic,” Hartsgrove said.
Listen to the full interview with George Hartsgrove below:
Listen to the full interview with Lisa Montroy below:
