The Toronto-Dominion Bank & McCarthy Tétrault are pleased to invite you to an engaging panel about The Fruit Machine, a documentary by Sarah Fodey that explores one of Canada’s most shameful historical chapters, the LGBT Purge from Canada’s civil service.

The Fruit Machine was a pseudo-scientific device the federal government used to identify and target gays and lesbians. Over the course of four decades, thousands of men and women had their privacy invaded and their careers destroyed. They were interrogated, threatened, and manipulated. Many suffered psychological effects; some took their own lives.

The LGBT Purge led to a 2016 class action. In 2018, the government apologized for its state-sponsored homophobia, and created a fund to commemorate this history.

This event will explore the history of Canada’s systemic firing of LGBT civil servants, RCMP and military members, the impact of the LGBT Purge on Canadian citizens, and steps we can take to remember and honour this history. This event will feature:

• Élisabeth Brousseau, Partner, Litigation, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
• Michelle Douglas, human rights activist and Executive Director of the LGBT Purge Fund
• Douglas Elliott, Lead Counsel in the LGBT Purge class action
• Sarah Fodey, producer and writer and director of The Fruit Machine
• Nikki Gershbain, Chief Inclusion Officer, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
• Martine Roy, Regional Manager, LGBTQ2+ Business Development Quebec Eastern Canada- Toronto-Dominion Bank

Please note:

Space is limited and registration is on a first come first serve basis.

McCarthy Tétrault is in the process of reviewing this program for CPD eligibility. If approval is granted for BC, Ontario or Québec jurisdictions an email will be sent to you after the event with more information.

For more information regarding this event, please email [email protected]

Time: 

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (EST)