‘We are just so proud’: Queer history exhibit at CMHR receives Governor General’s Award

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has received a prestigious award for its most recent exhibit covering the LGBT Purge.

A queer history exhibition at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is receiving national recognition.

“Love in a Dangerous Time: Canada’s LGBT Purge” took home the Governor General’s Award in the category of Excellence in Museums: History Alive!

The exhibition is the first of its kind at a major museum to explore queer history and 2SLGBTQI+ rights in Canada, according to CMHR.

“We are just so proud and so happy to be part of sharing this story with Canadians, a story that many don’t know,” said CMHR CEO Isha Khan.

The showcase shines a light on the period from the 1950s to the 1990s referred to as the LGBT Purge.

“The Government of Canada systematically investigated, harassed, and fired queer members of the Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP and federal public service for purported national security reasons during what came to be known as the LGBT Purge,” said CMHR in a news release. “It was one of the longest-running, largest-scale violations of human rights in any workplace in Canadian history.”

The museum said it worked alongside Purge survivors and the LGBT Purge Fund for more than six years to bring the story to life in a dynamic fashion.

“The Canadian Museum for Human Rights grounds itself in survivor-centered storytelling,” said Khan. ‘Love in a Dangerous Time’ was one of those examples where developing those close relationships with the LGBT Purge survivor community helped shape this exhibit. “Not only because we need to make sure we steward those stories and tell them in a good way, but because many of the issues from the purge are alive and well today.”

The exhibition, which launched last January, has been extended until fall 2026 at the CMHR and will be traveling to other cities. Two smaller pop-up versions of it will also be coming to other venues.

The award will be presented by Governor General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa at a later date.

Holocaust Remembrance Education Programming

Meanwhile, the museum will also be offering special Holocaust-centric education programs from Jan. 20 to Jan. 31 to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.

It will present an exhibit called “Dimensions in Testimony,” which provides a life-like interactive experience where visitors can ask questions and receive real-time responses from two Holocaust survivors using pre-recorded interviews.

The museum will also feature a guided experience called “Hana’s Suitcase,” which follows the story of a young girl named Hana Brady through the tribulations of the Holocaust.