Brendan Harkness is a Corporal with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Brendan grew up in a family of first responders: his mom worked as a nurse and his dad was a Mountie. Seeing the ways they helped people in their community inspired Brendan to follow in their footsteps. Specifically, he dreamed of becoming a Mountie like his dad. However, Brendan was uncertain if it was possible for a young, openly gay man to join the RCMP.

In 2006, while travelling abroad, Brendan saw police officers participating in a Pride event in Amsterdam. Seeing this positive relationship between the LGBTQ2 community and law enforcement was a pivotal moment: Brendan decided to return home and apply to the RCMP.

Today, Brendan is posted in British Columbia, where he is the detachment commander in the northern community of Hudson’s Hope. Throughout his 10 years as a Mountie, he has served on the front line and has worked in rural and urban communities across Canada in a variety of roles, such as general duty, street crime, GIS child abuse, and a remote divisional relief team. Most recently, Brendan spent 3 years in Nunavut. 

During this time, he travelled around the territory, working in 7 different isolated communities, before being promoted and taking his first command in the remote, isolated community of Hall Beach, Nunavut. During his service, Brendan has made it a continuing priority to advocate for and take initiative to help bridge gaps and break down barriers between the LGBTQ2 community and law enforcement. Brendan was part of a diversity committee created by the BC Chiefs of Police in Vancouver, BC, from 2009 - 2013. This committee was aimed at educating law enforcement personnel on a variety of LGBTQ2 related topics. He also sat on the LQBTQ2 National Advisory Committee from 2013 - 2018.

In 2012, Brendan gave a radio interview about the journey that led him to apply to the RCMP as an openly gay man, and what his experience had been like as an openly gay RCMP officer. For several years, this interview was played for all new cadets at the Justice Institute of BC. In 2016, in a serendipitous moment, Brendan was selected to represent the RCMP at the 1st Annual LGBTQ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals in the very city he was inspired to follow his dream of being a police officer 10 years prior: Amsterdam. At this conference, Brendan was asked to speak about his experience as an openly gay Mountie. His story, which specifically highlighted the importance of staying true to yourself, resulted in Brendan being interviewed by and featured on the front page of a Dutch national newspaper in his Red Serge. Upon his return to Canada, Brendan was also featured in an article by CBC North.

In 2017, Brendan attended the World OutGames International Human Rights Conference in Florida, shared his story and spoke about the work he has done with the LGBTQ2 and law enforcement communities.

Brendan continues to make it a priority to promote acceptance, diversity, and inclusiveness. Additionally, he works to create and support safe spaces for the LGBTQ2 community in both public and organizational settings.

Brendan is a proud member of the RCMP and hopes his story will continue to inspire others the way he was inspired so many years ago.

If not now, then when? If not you, then who?