Pride as protest: 2SLGBTQ+ rights and mental health
A brief 2023 update is at the end of this blog post.
Usually Pride month posts tend to go out at the beginning of the month of June but we realized that while Health Justice is an inclusive organization with 2SLGBTQ+ representation within it, we don’t have much outward facing work tied to the population. So, this Pride month, we wanted to begin to rectify that by putting together a more comprehensive blog post on 2SLGBTQ+ issues in Canada with resources for more information. We hope it’s a good starting place for those who want to learn. For those who may already know some of this information, feel free to jump to the headers of sections that are interesting to you. To note: This post was written by a 2SLGBTQ+ staff member who wishes to remain anonymous.
Our current focus is reforming the Mental Health Act in BC as well as ensuring access to equitable, safe services in general. That work often highlights the ways that the the Mental Health Act and BC’s mental health more generally is experienced differently by different groups of people. It’s easy in this work to fall into relying on statistics about some communities experiencing more mental health and substantive use related health issues or higher rates of detention and involuntary treatment under the Act.
However, we know that context matters. Mental health and the health system do not exist in a vacuum; they are influenced deeply by systemic oppression. Hate and discrimination negatively impact the mental health and well-being of the people who experience it and our health system often reinforces systemic discrimination despite the best of intentions. In this context, it feels right to make sure we are educated, and we use our voice to help educate others, on past and current 2SLGBTQ+ issues to get a deeper understanding of what impacts there are when talking about 2SLGBTQ+ and mental health.
Before getting too far into it though, here is a general content warning and there is a brief content warning below, as some of the topics discussed may be difficult or triggering, especially for those who are 2SLGBTQ+ or who have someone who is 2SLGBTQ+ in their life. If the terminology in this post about 2SLGBTQ+ people and Pride is unfamiliar to you, consider checking out this website that breaks down 2SLGBTQ+ terminology in an accessible format as well as terminology that intersects with 2SLGBTQ+ identities.
Content Warning: Mentions of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, anti-trans hate, and statistics surrounding 2SLGBTQ+ people and mental health/health care access.
A Brief History of Pride
For many, Pride now is seen as a party, a time to celebrate. And it is. It’s a time to take pride in being 2SLGBTQ+ and to celebrate that despite adversity, we continue on. It’s also a time to remember those we have lost, find community in the face of adversity, and continue raising awareness around everything that our 2SLBTQ+ ancestors and elders fought for. It’s a month where laws are made granting 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
It’s also a month where we remember the heart of Pride, which is Pride as a protest.
“Around the world, Pride celebrations take a variety of forms, from parades to parties to protests and proms. Since the start of the modern LGBTQ+ liberation movement in the 1970s, hundreds of independent Pride events have sprung up in cities worldwide, each distinctly local and generally tied in some way to the foundational Stonewall Riots in June.”
While Stonewall was not the first time that LGBTQ+ people stood up against police harassment, it is the point where many of the past protest and rights movements boiled over and led to the creation of Pride. There was a police raid at Stonewall Inn, located in Manhattan, New York, in an area known as Greenwich village. Cops stormed the place and began arresting patrons. As they forced people into police vehicles the nearby crowd grew restless and after an individual began to fight back, so did the rest, forcing the police to retreat. It was the start of what became known as the Stonewall Riots.
After the Stonewall riots, “organizers wanted to build on that spirit of resistance” so they put together a march that focused on Gay Pride as the theme, in the face of being told they should not be proud to be who they are. This march expanded to other cities and eventually around the globe, becoming what we know as Pride now. These marches and events became a way to celebrate but also to advocate for 2SLGBTQS+ rights and bring awareness to issues the communities within 2SLGBTQ+ were/are facing.
While the Stonewall Riots led to much of what we know Pride as today, every place has its own distinct history of Pride. To learn more about Canadian Pride, check out this timeline.
In light of the recent increasing anti-trans hate and in turn, anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate, Pride as a protest is important to remember and embrace. It’s important to acknowledge that for many, especially those who inhabit intersecting marginalized identities within 2SLGBTQ+, Pride never stopped being about protest. While 2SLGBTQ+ people may have gained many rights over the decades, globally there is an active effort to take those rights away and restrict 2SLGBTQ+ access to services including safe, affirming health care. While Pride is a celebration, this Pride it is necessary to remember and return to the roots of Pride as a protest as a way to raise awareness for 2SLGBTQ+ issues.
This leads us to where we’re at now in Canada for 2SLGBTQ+ rights, recognition, and health.
Where we’re at: The good
More inclusive data
While we still have some ways to go, Canada has done a few things more recently to help protect 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada. Canada recently became the first country in the world to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people in a mandatory census, giving us more insight into how many transgender and non-binary Canadians there are as well as data to potentially improve services and ensure better access to care. To create good policy and services, we need to know who is using them and what their needs are. The census was regarded as historic, especially because sex and gender questions became mandatory, while in other countries that record this data, the questions are optional so do not provide a comprehensive picture. The census found that of “the more than 30.5 million Canadians aged 15 and over who were counted on the census, 100,815” are transgender or non-binary. In the census, BC was found to have the 3rd largest amount of transgender and non-binary Canadians per capita with “more than 18,000 British Columbians identify as trans or non-binary.”
The new data collection also led to the federal budget allocating funds to Statistics Canada “to create a new Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics” with the hopes to develop “a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) data hub to support evidence-based policy development and decision making, both within the federal government and beyond.”
“Statistics Canada says this new way of reporting information is important because Canadians are evolving on how they identify themselves, and the census needs to reflect that.” While better data is great, it is important to recognize that Canadians aren’t evolving in how they identify themselves; instead statistics are finally catching up to the diversity of the population. Just because there was no option to report on being trans or non-binary in the census does not mean that trans and non-binary people did not exist. Trans, non-binary and gender diverse people are not new, they have always existed. While this may seem like a small issue in framing or language, it is important because anti-trans movements around the world attempt to label trans and non-binary people as new, a fad, or a trend to keep an eye on.
The question was added to the census after receiving feedback about the need to represent transgender and non-binary people in data. This is part of a “growing social and legislative recognition of transgender and non-binary people in Canada.” While this was an important step, it is a first step in along the path to catch up given that data collection has fallen behind; some transgender and non-binary people are saying that there is still a long way to go.
Expressly protecting against discrimination
Protections for 2SLGBTQ+ rights also improved when Bill C-16 was passed in 2017. The bill added gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. More recently, Bill C-4 was passed, banning conversion therapy in Canada. In May 2022, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the Canadian government released a statement acknowledging what has been done in Canada to protect 2SLGBTQ+ folks against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, as well as the importance of the community and the specific issues they face. In it they stated that “Everyone has the right to feel safe in being their true self and expressing their gender and sexuality freely.”
Aside from government-level change, in May Athlete Ally and “200+ members of the academic and sport communities” sent a letter to Sport Canada to condemn Sport Canada’s financial support of anti-transgender research. The director of Athlete Ally noted that recently “we have seen an injection of transphobia in research across the globe” and that “It is deeply concerning that this study, despite lacking the gold-standard ethical approval that all research requires, is being commissioned by Sport Canada.” While the news of an increase in transphobia in research is not good, it was good to see such a large condemnation of transphobia in sport research.
Where we’re at: The bad
Content Warning: Mentions of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, anti-trans hate, and statistics surrounding 2SLGBTQ+ people and mental health/health care access.
The rise in anti-trans hate
While a lot of the anti-trans hate has been more visible in the US and UK, we have also seen an increase in Canada already. One example of anti-trans hate in Canada is in Ottawa where many anti-trans stickers were being placed around a market. This incident caused advocates to be concerned that similar anti-trans movements that are being seen in the UK and the US may become louder here. The level of pushback being seen in the US regarding transgender and gender diverse issues echoes the reaction to when gay marriage and gay equality were fought for before they gained rights.
There is enough concern about rising anti-trans hate in Canada that the first transgender federal party leader has called for a national anti-trans hate strategy. Amita Kuttner acknowledged the rise of anti-trans hate globally as well as incidents occurring in Canada, mentioning that they have experienced first-hand instances of anti-trans hatred and that often examples of transphobia are "defended as allowable conversation." Kuttner stated that “we need a strategy in place immediately, pre-emptively. And at this point, honestly, it's not really pre-emptive anymore. But it is still early for us as we're seeing this rise in hatred and the strategy is needed." While the federal government has been pursuing other 2SLGBTQ+ anti-hate prevention, Kuttner said that "it's important to recognize anti-trans hate as a particular form of hatred."
While Canada has yet to see anti-trans hate in legislation, it continues to be widespread online. Seeing frequent transphobia online is normalized for many. While some level of hate online may not be surprising, constant exposure to debates about your existence and seeing rights stripped in other countries is alarming, concerning, and scary. Canada can strive to be accepting, affirming and supportive of 2SLGBTQ+ folks to aid in counteracting the impact of online hate.
Mental health, inclusive health care and 2SLGBTQ+ people
While the 2SLGBTQ+ community is diverse and has many intersecting identities within it, overall they face “higher risks for some mental health issues due to the effects of discrimination and the social determinants of health.” Information compiled by Rainbow Health Ontario and CMHA Ontario pointed to three determinants of positive mental health for 2SLGBTQ+ people which are: “social inclusion; freedom from discrimination and violence; and access to economic resources.” We have work to do in Canada to ensure these needs are met.
Bisexual and transgender people are “over-represented among low-income Canadians” with half of transgender people “living on less than $15000 a year.” 2SLGBTQ+ people experience high rates of stigma and discrimination throughout their lives “and are targets of sexual and physical assault, harassment and hate crimes.” Some 2SLGBTQ+ people may have supportive family and friends, the process of “coming out” can also lead to social isolation as well as loss of family and social supports, greatly impacting 2SLGBTQ+ mental health.
In addition, 2SLGBTQ+ people often experience intersecting oppression “such as racism, sexism, poverty” which negatively impacts mental health. Gaps in access to health care were found to be worse for racial minorities in the LGBTQ+ community. As well, 2SLGBTQ+ people with disabilities face ableism that can add barriers to accessing services. 2SLGBTQ+ folks are more likely to “rate their health as poor and (be) less likely to seek urgent care;” “have had a bad experience with doctors;” or have less access to a family doctor. For more in-depth information on the health of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Canada, check out this report.
In BC, there have been issues with equal access to healthcare for 2SLGBTQ+ people, with organizations and programs such as HIM (Health Initiative for Men) and Trans Care BC helping to try to bridge those gaps. The Ministry of Health states the province is “doing more to make health-care messaging more inclusive” but there are still many gaps in healthcare access for 2SLGBTQ+ people that need to be addressed. For example, finding a doctor that is inclusive and up-to-date knowledgeable about 2SLGBTQ+ specific needs can be a challenge. Individuals are often left to do their own research. As well, COVID-19 made health care disparities even worse for 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians. Aside from health disparities, Egale Canada, the African-Canadian Civic Engagement Council, and INNOVATIVE found that there was a higher rate of layoffs in 2SLGBTQ+ households in Canada during COVID-19, increasing the economic barriers.
Finally, much of the rise in anti-trans hate has been connected to gender-affirming care and the myths about the damage it can cause. However, mental health outcomes improve for transgender and non-binary people who receive gender-affirming care. While transgender and non-binary youth have higher poor mental health outcomes due to factors like social rejection, bullying, and increased stigma and discrimination, gender-affirming care is “associated with decreased rates of long-term adverse outcomes” among them. Removing or limiting access to this care does not help transgender or non-binary youth and adults, it only creates barriers to safe care that can improve their mental health and support wellbeing. The study linked concluded that, while gender-affirming care has been proven to decrease “long-term adverse mental health outcomes”, it has now also been shown to decrease them the short-term too.
What does all of this mean going forward?
In Canada we can take some solace in the fact that there haven’t been formal, legislative attempts to strip back 2SLGBTQ+ rights, but we still have far to go to ensure equal rights for 2SLGBTQ+ folks, including equitable access to safe and inclusive health care. That’s why this Pride it’s important to remember the roots of Pride as a protest while also taking the time to celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ elders who helped get the community to where it is at today. The current climate surrounding Pride and 2SLGBTQ+ rights globally means it is more important than ever to find ways to support 2SLGBTQ+ people.
What Health Justice is doing
Data and research shows it’s important to make sure that 2SLGBTQ+ are represented in work to shape law, policies and services. Health Justice is not explicitly focused on 2SLGBTQ+ research, but we are ensuring that 2SLGBTQ+ voices are part of our work. For example, our Gender-Based Impacts Project focuses on understanding ways to support gender equity in involuntary treatment through the experiences of women, non-binary people, Two-Spirit people, and others with marginalized genders who have lived and living experience of involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act. This project is still in the early stages but more information can be learned about it here.
Further resources
There was a lot of information in this post, but we did want to leave you with some resources. This is by no means a comprehensive list of resources but we hope it’s a good starting place for many.
For education:
The many articles linked throughout this blog post
Conversations With Young Two-Spirit, Trans And Queer Indigenous People In Toronto Zine
For research:
For 2SLGBTQ+ people:
CGSHE survey to explore gender expression & sexual identities in Two-Spirit, trans & queer youth (Closes August 15th)
And finally, while we are nearing the end of Pride month, there are still many Pride events that will run into July and August. To see Pride events in BC check out the link below or search for Pride events near you:
Brief 2023 Update
This blog post continues to be relevant in 2023 with more concerning updates as anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate continues to rise in Canada. Below are a list of articles surrounding the rise in hate to keep in mind this month. These are important especially for allies to be aware of:
Rising hate in Canada casts pall over Pride, spotlights need for protest along with celebration
As anti-LGBTQ2 hate grows in Canada, advocates say it’s ‘never been as scary’
As anti-trans hate rises, N.B. activists share how to support those targeted
During this month (and the rest of the year) it’s important to get out and support your local 2SLGBTQ+ community in any way you can so check out local events happening in your area and ways you can either participate or support them.
As well, our Gender-Based Impacts Project is in the recruitment stages so if you are interested in that, more information can be found here.