2022 Cold War Speaker Series: Michelle Douglas and Christos Pantieras

We invite you to join us virtually this fall to hear from experts about a variety of relevant Cold War themes and events. 

Michelle Douglas and Christos Pantieras discuss the LGBT Purge as a part of the Cold War Speaker Series hosted by the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum.

Date: Thursday, October 6, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Price: Free

Details:
– Please RSVP at least 48 hours in advance in order to receive the join link.
– Virtual attendance via Zoom.

Presentation Topic:

The LGBT Purge: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow through Personal Experience and Visual Art.
As the 2022 Artist-in-Residence, created Christos Pantieras a multi-layered installation about “Justin Case”, a comic character created by Civil Defence Canada to promote preparedness and safety. Pantieras will discuss how his reinterpretation of the character portrays anxiety, distrust, and internal struggle and how he connected this to the LGBT Purge.

Speaker Bios:

Michelle Douglas is the Executive Director of the LGBT Purge Fund, a not-for-profit corporation that was set up to manage a portion of the funds that emerged from the class action settlement for LGBT members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and the federal public service who were systematically discriminated against. Michelle Douglas served as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1986 to 1989. She was honourably discharged from the military in 1989 as a result of the Purge. She launched a landmark legal challenge against the military’s discriminatory policies against LGBT service members that resulted in the ending of Canada’s discriminatory policies in 1992. Her experience in the military was the start of 30 years of social justice and human rights activism.

Christos Pantieras is from Ottawa, Ontario. He received an M.F.A. in sculpture from York University, and a B.F.A. from the University of Ottawa. Pantieras explores themes of communication, relationships, and intimacy. Sourcing online language from emails, text messages, and gay hook-up apps, he manipulates the digital word through analog processes. His work amplifies the resonance of a lost connection while blurring the boundaries between virtual space and physical space. Select institutions where his work has been presented include: the Ottawa Art Gallery, The ArQuives, Modern Fuel ARC, AXENÉO7, CIRCA Art Actuel, and Artcite Inc.