Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
will apologize later this year for the historic persecution LGBT
people faced.
According to The
Globe and Mail, Trudeau will issue the apology as early as
this fall.
LGBT rights activists applauded the
action.
“This is a long-awaited moment and a
very emotional moment, to be honest,” Helen Kennedy, director of
Egale, told the paper. “For the government to recognize the damage
that it caused, the harm that it caused, to thousands and thousands
of Canadians is a historic moment for our communities.”
In June, Egale submitted a report to
the government titled The Just Society, which the Liberals
appear to be embracing.
The group's recommendations include
apologizing to people who were imprisoned or otherwise persecuted by
the government because of their sexual orientation before 1969, when
gay sex between consenting adults was decriminalized.