Becoming a Better 2SLGBTQIA+ Ally

 

A note about language: this article uses various acronyms and terms to describe the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. If you’d like to learn more about them, check out PFLAG’s glossary of terms .

The facts

The vast majority of folks living across this land now called Canada agree that one of our greatest freedoms is the ability to live our lives authentically, free to be ourselves. But for 2SLGTBQIA+ people, and for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks in particular, this freedom is often not a guarantee. Over the last several years, violence against this community has been on the rise.

A graph on a blue background showing the rise in police-reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation from 2016 to 2023. At the bottom Egale Canada's logo and website, egale.ca

According to Stats Canada, police-reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation have increased 388% in the past seven years (2016-2023). Source: Egale Canada

The 2SLGTBQIA+ community is a minority in Canada—according to Stats Canada, an estimated 1 million people, or 4% of the population over the age of 15 identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. But from 2016 to 2023, police-reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation have increased by a staggering 388%. From 2022-2023 alone, there was an increase of 69% (Egale Canada ). And we know that for a variety of reasons, gender-based violence often goes unreported, so that number could be even higher.

According to the Stats Canada 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces :

  • 49% of LGB women indicate that they’ve been physically or sexually assaulted by an intimate partner, which is almost double that of straight women (25%).

    The study also found that in the previous year:

  • 69% of LGB women and 41% of men had experienced inappropriate sexual behaviours in a public place that made them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

  • 40% of LGB women and 32% of men had experienced online harassment.

  • 49% of LGB women and 35% of men had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in the workplace.

In addition, trans and gender diverse people were 2x more likely than a cisgender person to have experienced unwanted behaviours that made them feel unsafe in the workplace, and in public and online spaces.


It’s all connected

It’s impossible to separate this rise in hate-fueled violence from the anti-2SLGBTQIA+ mis- and dis-information we are seeing from politicians and media, both in Canada and abroad. In the United States, the rights of trans people in particular are under active threat, and here in Canada we are seeing similar attempts to restrict trans peoples’ access to medical care and inclusion in sports. In some districts, school boards are even removing books by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors from their shelves.

These attacks are making it unsafe for 2SLBGTQIA+ people, and trans folks in particular, to be themselves—a freedom we can agree all people deserve. Now more than ever, it’s important that allies to the queer community come together and use their power and privilege to speak up against this violence and harassment happening in the workplace, online, in public places, and in the systems that govern our lives.

how to be a better ally

Pride month is a time to celebrate diversity and inclusion, but we can’t forget that it started as a resistance to these violent systems, and that this resistance is still needed today. So how can you be a better ally, not just during pride month, but every day of the year?

  • learn about bystander intervention so that you can be ready to interrupt violence and harassment when you see it happening. We know from the statistics that it’s affecting queer folks in all spheres of life: private, public, online and at work. Check out our post on bystander intervention to learn more about this important grassroots tool.

  • educate yourself. There are so many excellent resources for learning more about the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ people, from books to podcasts to film. Take the time to engage with what’s out there, and don’t rely on the queer folks in your life to answer all your questions. We’re tired!

  • accept that sometimes, you’ll get things wrong, and that’s okay. Commit to learning from your mistakes, being self-reflective, and continuing your growth as an ally.

  • listen to and believe queer people when they tell you they’re experiencing violence and harassment. We’ve got a great post on how to help a friend who is disclosing sexualized or gender-based violence, and these tips all apply to supporting your 2SLGBTQIA+ friends, too.

It’s a scary time for many people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, but by becoming a better ally, you can be a part of making the lives of your queer and trans neighbours safer, creating the space they deserve to live authentically, free to be themselves.

resources

  • Egale Canada www.egale.ca — research, education, awareness, and legal advocacy

  • PFLAG Canada https://pflagcanada.ca/ — Helping 2SLGBTQIA+ folks and their loved ones connect with resources and find a supportive community

  • Pride at Work Canada https://prideatwork.ca/ — Empowering employers to build workplaces that celebrate all employees, regardless of gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

peer support

 
Education, Taking Action, Helping A FriendDawson Women's Shelterally, allyship, pride month, 2SLGBTQIA+, bystander intervention