Defence Team 2SLGBTQI+ Champions mark National Coming Out Day 2025

October 6, 2025 – Defence Stories

Estimated read time – 1:30

On National Coming Out Day, celebrated on October 11, we honour the courage it takes to live openly and authentically. For many Two–Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQI+) people, coming out can be a defining moment—one that brings relief, pride, and a stronger sense of self. It can also be a repeated act, as individuals share their identity in new workplaces, with new colleagues, and in new communities. Each act of coming out not only affirms one’s own truth, but also helps break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create space for others to do the same.

We recognize that coming out is not always easy. It can involve risks, particularly in environments where stigma, bias, or discrimination persist. This is why allyship is so important. Every Defence Team member has a role to play in making the workplace safe, respectful, and welcoming, so that anyone choosing to come out is supported and accepted rather than met with harmful behaviours or microaggressions which can foster fear or encourage people to stay silent.

National Coming Out Day reminds us of the progress we have made—and of the work still to be done. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who came out in the face of adversity, including survivors of the LGBT Purge, whose courage laid the foundation for greater equity and inclusion today. Their bravery reminds us that authenticity is powerful, and that living openly helps build a stronger, more inclusive Defence Team.

As Champions, we are committed to advancing this work. Together, by fostering a culture of acceptance, allyship, and pride, every member of the Defence Team—civilian and military alike—can thrive by being their true selves.

Together, we create change.

Defence Team 2SLGBTQI+ Champions:

Brigadier-General James Hawthorne and Lara Rooke
and,
the Defence Team 2SLGBTQI+ Champions Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Senior Advisor
CWO Ian St-Laurent