Don’t destroy gay-sex records, historians urge as bill moves through Commons
OTTAWA — A federal plan to destroy the criminal records of people convicted of same-sex activity is a “troubling feature” of proposed legislation intended to help make amends to the LGBTQ community, say four researchers who have done extensive work on the subject.
The Liberal government recently introduced legislation that would allow people to apply to have their criminal convictions for consensual sexual activity between same-sex partners erased from the public record.
The bill was accompanied by a formal apology by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons to the LGBTQ community for historic injustices that ruined careers and lives.
While the researchers applaud the idea of ensuring the criminal records can never be used against those convicted, they say preservation is integral to the democratic process and the telling of history.