No Backup a Setup and More: The Accomplishments of a Good Fairy, Malcolm Crockett

Description

No Backup: A Setup and More – The Accomplishments of a Good Fairy by Malcolm Crockett is a compelling memoir of resilience, activism, and queer survival in the face of institutionalized persecution.

From the late 1960s through the early 1990s, the Canadian government—assisted by the RCMP—systematically targeted and harassed gay and lesbian members of the military and public service. In this deeply personal account, Crockett shines a light on a dark chapter of Canadian history, when careers and lives were destroyed under the guise of “national security.”

Told with wit, courage, and heartbreaking clarity, No Backup chronicles the author’s experiences as a young gay social worker in a small Canadian town, where RCMP officers chillingly informed him that he would receive “no backup” because they didn’t want anyone “liking him too much.” From that moment, Crockett’s story unfolds into one of defiance, compassion, and the unrelenting pursuit of justice.

Spanning continents and causes—from surviving two childhood meningitis comas in New Zealand, to organizing anti-nuclear protests, to lobbying the Canadian Prime Minister to save lives from Chile’s Pinochet regime—Crockett’s life embodies queer resilience in action. Each page introduces unforgettable characters and moments of profound humanity that defy fear and prejudice.

Part political memoir, part survival story, No Backup is both a testament to the damage done by intolerance and a celebration of the communities and individuals who rise, rebuild, and refuse to be silenced.