Joseph John “J.J.” Belanger

Joseph John “J.J.” Belanger

( J.J. Belanger at age 17 as a Member of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps in June 1940.)

Joseph John “J.J.” Belanger was born on January 24, 1925 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

He enlisted in the Military at 17 years old during the Second World War.

He served first in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps from 1940-1942 and then as a Wireless Air Gunner in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942-1944.

He flew in Lancaster Bombers on Raids over German-Occupied Europe.

During one Mission in mid-1944, Enemy Fire hit JJ’s plane and he was wounded by shrapnel.

The Crew had to bail out along the coast of France where JJ spent three days in a small dingy before being rescued.

Only three of the Plane’s eight Crew Members survived.

One of the dead was the Bomber Pilot, an Australian named Gordon and JJ.’s Lover.

They had met at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan base in Winnipeg earlier in the War and had spent much time together.

This tragic loss was very hard for JJ and was made even worse because their love had to be hidden from the wider world.

Grieving the death of his Partner too openly would have caused problems, so he couldn’t express the full depth of his sorrow.

During the War, JJ came out to his Family and to Gordon’s Parent - who lived in England.

He believed that if he were to die in the War he should at least be true to himself even though being Homosexual was illegal in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States.

He was awarded a Defense Medal, Canadian Voluntary Service Medal, and War Medal for his Service.

After the War, he returned to Civilian Life and moved to the West Coast.

As a Researcher JJ helped Dr. Alfred Kinsey who expanded the field of Sexuality during that Era.

JJ served in the US Air Force – joining in 1954.

He served for five years, earning numerous Commendations including the Aviation Badge, Good Conduct Medal and Outstanding Airman of the 26th Air Refueling Squadron.

Joseph John “J.J.” Belanger died on January 26, 1993, two days after his 70th Birthday. 

In 2014, Photographs of JJ were found.

It is of JJ and Robert Block kissing in a Photo Booth at the Playland Amusement Park in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada in 1953.

JJ lived as openly as a Gay Man in the 1940s-1960s.

(A photo booth picture taken in Vancouver in 1953 of J. J. Belanger (left) and Robert Block.)

Being Gay was Illegal in Canada until 1969 and was considered a Mental Illness until 1973,

Gays couldn’t openly serve in the Canadian Military until 1992 and Gays couldn’t marry throughout Canada until 2005.

That means that JJ would have been imprisoned for being openly Gay, could have been put into a Mental institution and would have been thrown out of the Canadian Military (even during Wartime) and was never allowed to marry in Canada.

Being Gay was illegal in the United States until 2003 (Nationwide and was considered a Mental Illness until 1973.

Gays couldn’t openly serve in the American Military until 2011 and couldn’t marry until 2015 (Nationwide – except for some Indian Reservations and in American Samoa.)

That means that JJ would have been imprisoned for being openly Gay, could have been put into a Mental Institution and would have been thrown out of the American Military and was never allowed to marry in the United States.

JJ was forced to live a Double-Life where on the one-hand he risked his life protecting Canadians and Americans while serving in the Canadian and American Militaries while on the other-hand having to hide the fact that he was Gay.