Thunderhead: Ottawa landmark honours 2SLGBTQI+ resilience

Thunderhead, Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument, will open in Ottawa on August 21.
The 11-m (36-ft) monument and the surrounding public space are in a park along the Ottawa River. It recognizes the discrimination experienced by 2SLGBTQI+ communities in Canada and the challenges that continue today.
Thunderhead confronts the colonial roots of homophobia and transphobia and honours people targeted in the historic LGBT Purge. During the purge, officials systematically investigated, harassed, and dismissed queer members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the federal public service.
The opening ceremony will bring together LGBT Purge survivors, community leaders, representatives of local First Nations, families, partners, allies, and other guests.
