Weirdness from up north in the Canadian military: A military chaplain man who thinks he’s a woman wanted to group another man. The New Sexual Harassment.
From True North: A Royal Military College chaplain who was hailed by the Canadian military as an LGBTQ champion on Transgender Day of Visibility has been suspended following an alleged groping request.
The Department of National Defence confirmed to True North that Capt. Beatrice Gale’s chaplaincy was revoked and the member was found to have violated military rules in a summary hearing because of “an inappropriate comment or request to another individual.” Gale was born a biological man but identifies as a woman.
“This incident stems from an inappropriate comment or request to another individual. Neither member was in a position of authority over the other,” DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin told True North.
Gale received a relatively minor service infraction: on Apr. 3, Gale was found to have violated the Queen’s Regulations and Orders, which govern military conduct and affairs.
A painful journey and transition from man to woman, Padre (Capt.) Beatrice Gale from the @RMCCanadaCMR in Kingston shares her personal story. #MyCAFStory pic.twitter.com/P2mEGHSgqD
— Canadian Armed Forces (@CanadianForces) March 17, 2023
The specific service infraction was for somebody who “otherwise behaves in a manner that adversely affects the discipline, efficiency or morale of the Canadian Forces.”
“The mandate for Captain Gale to serve as a Canadian military chaplain remains suspended. The Chaplain General will consider the implications of the summary hearing’s outcome to determine if additional administrative actions within their authority are required,” said Poulin.
Chaplains at the Royal Military College offer spiritual and religious care for CAF members as well as cadets studying at the institution. Part of their role includes facilitating religious services and counselling members seeking advice on religious, ethical or moral issues. The types of problems chaplains deal with include grief, addiction, suicidal thoughts, abuse and family problems.
One source familiar with the incident who chose to remain anonymous over fears of personal and professional retaliation alleged that Gale had become intoxicated during a dinner in the mess hall and asked to grope a male lieutenant’s buttocks.
True North reached out to Gale for an opportunity to comment but did not receive a response.
Millar said the way the military handled the conduct reveals a double standard.
“If a male officer behaved in a similar manner towards a subordinate female, the situation would be dealt with differently, and the offender’s name would be leaked to the press. Unfortunately, there is a lack of equality in how the Canadian Armed Forces handle such allegations,” said Millar. . . . . (read more on True North)
Days before, bad timing:
International Transgender Day of Visibility: An opportunity to honour our transgender community (Canadian Government, 28 March 2024)
International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) is dedicated to honouring transgender people and raising awareness of the discrimination faced by that community worldwide while celebrating their contributions to society.
Contributions like those of Chaplain (Captain) Gale, the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) first openly transgender chaplain, who has been generous and candid about her coming out journey, are important.
“It makes us stronger when we share our challenges, and I hope that being a transgender chaplain sends a message to the 2SLGBTQI+ community that the Royal Canadian Chaplain Service cares. That it cares for that community.”
She has not always been so open and positive about her gender identity and took until the age of 43 to publicly come out. There was a time in Canada’s not so distant past when she would have faced significant discrimination. The Government of Canada acknowledges there was a period during which the federal government’s policies and practices, today referred to as the “LGBT Purge,” led to the discrimination of LGBT employees within the Federal Public Service, the CAF, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
“I hid this core part of who I am and rejected myself for so long,” says Gale. “The emotional energy I spent dealing with my shame hurt not only me, but the people who cared about me. I felt trapped. I knew that if I continued to try to live as cisgender, I was probably going to die – but I also felt that by coming out, I would lose everything. I was completely convinced that the whole world would hate me if I they knew that I am transgender, that I would have no support, that I would lose my family, friends, and job. It turned out that the most damaging lie was not the one that I told the world by hiding myself, it was the lie I told myself to keep myself from accepting who I am.”
Chaplain Gale has been a vocal advocate for the rights of transgender members in uniform. Her efforts resulted in policy changes that contributed to more inclusive gender-affirming medical care for CAF members.
“I feel like we’re on the right track, but I feel like that progress is fragile and I feel like there’s a lot of hurt. I hope that we can honour that hurt, and that we can seek to not do it again,” says Gale.
Diversity and inclusion are vital to creating an organization which meets the needs of all Canadians and those who rely on its services. Greater diversity and inclusivity enrich the workplace and enable us to leverage the range of perspectives and expertise needed to address today’s complex challenges.
“The International Transgender Day of Visibility is important to me personally because visibility and education are key to social acceptance,” says Gale. “There are a lot of damaging myths about gender diversity. All the transgender people I know simply want a world where we can be who we are without fear of discrimination or harassment based on our gender identity and expression.”
To hear more from Chaplain Gale, please watch her CAF Story, I am a woman.
The Defence Team is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive work environment for everyone, including members of the two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex+ communities. If you are a Defence Team member dealing with 2SLGBTQI+ related issues, are looking for social support, or if you want to help make the Defence Team a more inclusive workplace for these communities, contact the Defence Team Positive Space Program at PositiveSpace-EspacePositif@forces.gc.ca.
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