Supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ inclusion and confronting transphobia and homophobia: OCRCC responds

 

Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, non-binary (2SLGBTQQIA+[1]) rights are facing escalating intolerance in Canada, and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community is facing serious expressions of hate.  

In recent weeks, 2SLGBTQQIA+ visibility in education– most specifically, the existence of diverse gender identities – has been problematized and attacked through the 1MillionMarch4Children. This has contributed to a rise in hate against 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities.

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) stands in solidarity with Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and non-binary people in the face of intolerance and hate. 2SLGBTQQIA+ inclusion and visibility in our school systems is important, and must be defended.

We stand with all trans and gender diverse youth, adults and their allies. We believe:

All kids deserve the freedom to be themselves, learn and grow in a safe environment and be respected in our schools, including 2SLGBTQI students. We’ve been seeing some governments across the country rolling back inclusive education guidelines that were meant to protect queer and trans students, in order to play politics with vulnerable kids. Our message to the government is clear: give kids the respect they deserve and the freedom to be themselves[2] (Egale Canada).

 

 With gains comes resistance: 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights and visibility in Canada

Canada has a long history in the struggle for 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights. In 1971, people from Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and the surrounding areas gathered at Parliament Hill for Canada’s First Gay Liberation Protest and March. They presented a petition to the government with a list of ten demands for equal rights and protections[3]. Black and racialized queer and trans organizing has also occurred over many decades[4].

For years, pride events saw resistance from leaders, including those in government. From 1985 until 1990, while Toronto Pride events and attendance continued to rise, Pride requested official recognition each year, but was refused. In 1991, City Council proclaimed Pride Day for the first time[5].

Participation in and endorsement of Pride and other 2SLGBTQQIA+ initiatives by community leaders has helped to bolster awareness about 2SLGBTQQIA+ existence, as well as condemn acts of violence against the community[6].

In recent years, trans, gender non-binary and gender non-conforming people have been fighting for rights and making considerable gains: increased awareness about the inclusion and needs of trans and gender diverse youth, the respectful use of correct pronouns, and the reality of transphobic violence in everyday spaces are a few examples.

With these social justice advances, however, also comes resistance. “Whenever there’s some kind of steps made forward in human rights, there’s a backlash,” says Alex Wilson, 2SLGBTQQIA+ educator and member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. “This time, the backlash is particularly focused on trans people and the queer community in general”[7]. Pushback against 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights and visibility has grown: in the U.S. there have been more than 500 bills brought forward so far in 2023 against gender-affirming care and bathroom use, the participation of transgender women and girls in sports, the use of preferred pronouns, drag performances and education about gender identity and sexuality[8]. Anti-2SLGBTQQIA+ attitudes and myths shared by community and political leaders have bolstered negative sentiments towards 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

This year in Canada, 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights have also faced growing attack. 2SLGBTQ and transgender flags have been being stolen or damaged. Some communities and school boards in Ontario and British Columbia made decisions to not fly the Pride flag, for example, while other communities saw school board protests, such as a rise in student absences on June 1 amid pushback on Pride celebrations. In New Brunswick and Saskatchewan this year, both governments put forward policy requiring teachers to first seek permission from a student’s parent for student pronoun use and name changes[9].

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) notes that pushback against 2SLGBTQQIA+ people often employs frightening rhetoric about sexual violence, sexual subject matter and children: local advocates supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ initiatives describe being “greeted by people calling them “groomers” and “pedophiles”, and being accused of trying to “indoctrinate” children”[10].

The most recent 1MillionMarch4Children in Canada this week, for example, says that protestors against gender ideology in schools are “standing up to free our children from the bondage of indoctrination, breaking the system designed to sexualize our children”[11].

This kind of language reproduces erroneous myths about sexual violence, as well as outdated and harmful stereotypes about the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community[12],[13].

 

This messaging increases intolerance, rejection and hatred of 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Even before the March, Egale Canada tracked over 6000 anti-2SLGBTQI protests and instances of online hate in Canada in the first three months of 2023 alone. The organization notes: “There’s a rising tide of hate in this country”[14] against 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

It is now more important than ever to defend 2SLGBTQQIA+ existence and rights.

 

Challenging homophobia and transphobia

Gender non-conforming ways of knowing and being – and any work to defend these – often results in “serious reaction” from groups and people whose identity is invested in traditional categories[15].

Fear or resistance happens when a time-honored gender, sexual, class-conscious or racial boundary is stretched, causing cultural norms to shift. Certainly, challenging homophobia and transphobia means challenging our ideas of gender, and creating more space for 2SLGBTQQIA+ existence and rights.

2SLGBTQQIA-fearing attitudes and actions have serious implications on the health and wellbeing of people in our community too. For example:

• In its Ontario-wide research, TransPulse found that trans people are the targets of specifically directed violence. 20% of trans people shared that they had been physically or sexually assaulted for being trans, and another 34% had been verbally threatened or harassed[16]
• Among racialized trans and non-binary people, 72% had experienced verbal harassment in the past 5 years, 45% had ever been harassed at work or school, and 73% worried about being stopped or harassed by police or security for who they are[17]
• LGBTQ2+ youth are significantly impacted by gender-based violence: 70 percent of trans youth in Canada have experienced sexual harassment. More than one-third of trans youth ages 14-18 share that they were physically threatened or injured in the past year[18].

 

Everyone has a role in recognizing and responding to homophobic and transphobic violence. “Our allies – they need to speak out,” said an activist with Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos[19].

Community and political leaders also have an important role to play. As Egale Canada shared: “we’re calling on you, as leaders and decision makers, to act now”[20].

 

If you are a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community

If you are personally affected by transphobia or homophobia, please know that we care about you. There are spaces and people that support you.

• Support is available to 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth. The LGBT YouthLine is a 2SLGBTQ+ youth-led organization that affirms and supports the experiences of youth (29 and under) across Ontario. The YouthLine provides anonymous peer support and referrals: learn more here
• Support is available to 2SLGBTQQIA+ adults. The 519 provides anti-violence support programs: learn more here. Rainbow Health provides referrals to province-wide supports: learn more here
• If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, you can find local support across Ontario here

 

What allies can do

If you are an ally of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, there are things you can do to support 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and push back against transphobia or homophobia. You can:

• Talk with others you know about growing transphobic or homophobic sentiments impacting 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and your care and concern for this community 

• Name and condemn transphobic comments, anti-trans hate and violence when you see it happen. Help to dispel myths and misconceptions by educating those around you[21]

• Speak to your school admin or school council, and ensure that your local school has 2SLGBTQQIA+ safe spaces, such as GSAs or posted resources about 2SLGBTQQIA+ inclusion 

• Take part in social justice work to address growing transphobic and homophobic violence in our communities:
  • If it is safe for you to do so, attend 2SLGBTQQIA-supportive events in your local community
  • Egale Canada has created social media and other awareness-raising tools through their Pride Unravelled campaign: learn more and take part here
  • The 519 is leading a number of actions to address growing hostility against 2SLGBTQQIA+ people: learn more and take part here

 

• Challenge harmful stereotypes about the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, sexual violence, sexual subject matter and children[22]. Learn more about these stereotypes and misconceptions and how to address them in the Tactics and Tips for Combatting Misinformation guide (The 519) here 
• Contact your local school trustee(s), MPP or MP, and ask them to create and support policies that support the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. When candidates are up for election or for other leadership roles, look into their priorities and see if they are allies of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community 

• Remember that strategies to address homophobic and transphobic violence should include the input and leadership of people with lived 2SLGBTQQIA+ experiences

• Consider making a financial donation to a 2SLGBTQQIA+ organization like Egale Canada, the 519, Rainbow Health, or an organization in your community

• Actively address anti-2SLGBTQQIA+ misinformation or hateful rhetoric when it arises – in conversations and on social media. You can use hashtags like #DragDownHate #NoHate and #TransLivesMatter while advocating for our communities’ safety on social media. There is power in showing up for 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities[23].

 

OCRCC’s understandings of sexual violence is rooted in a systemic view of violence. We believe that broader acts of violence that affect certain communities, people, or identities must also be understood this way. We stand in solidarity with all Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and non-binary people.

 

Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) is a network of community-based sexual assault centres in Ontario.

• Some of the messaging in this statement is adapted from Pride and Confronting growing homophobia and transphobia in our communities: OCRCC responds (June 2023)
• Read OCRCC’s Trans, Genderqueer, Non-binary, Two Spirit and Intersex Equity Statement here
• If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, go to https://sexualassaultsupport.ca/get-help/.

[1] This initial stands for “Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual.” It may also appear as LGBTQ2SIA, or in shortened versions such as LGBTQ2S or LGBT+. Learn More:

• The 519, Definitions/glossary
• Egale Canada, 2SLGBTQI Terms and Concepts

[2] Thanks to Egale Canada for this comment. September 20, 2023. No space for hate. Online: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxav3E2Kznq/

[3] Queer Events (QE). History of Canadian Pride: 1971 First Gay Rights Protest. Online: https://www.queerevents.ca/canada/pride/history

[4] Egale Canada. We Exist. Looking Back, Looking Forward: A History of Black LGBTQI organizing in Canada. Online: https://egale.ca/egale-in-action/black-lgbtqi-storytelling-learning-from-the-past-organizing-for-the-future/

[5] Pride Toronto. History. Online: https://www.pridetoronto.com/about/history/

[6] Abad-Santos, Alex., for VOX. Jun 25, 2018. How LGBTQ Pride Month became a branded holiday. Online: https://www.vox.com/2018/6/25/17476850/pride-month-lgbtq-corporate-explained

[7] Logan, N. for CBC News.  May 11, 2023.As Pride flags are once again targeted, 2SLGBTQ advocates say it’s as important as ever to fly them: Debates happening amid a rise in divisive rhetoric against 2SLGBTQ rights. Online: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6837143

[8] Logan, N. for CBC News.  May 11, 2023.As Pride flags are once again targeted, 2SLGBTQ advocates say it’s as important as ever to fly them: Debates happening amid a rise in divisive rhetoric against 2SLGBTQ rights. Online: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6837143

[9] See: Peterson, J. for Saskatoon Star Phoenix. September 13, 2023. ‘Dangerously misguided’: AFN condemns Sask., New Brunswick education policies. Online: https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/dangerously-misguided-afn-condemns-sask-new-brunswick-education-policies

[10] Beckett, L. for The Guardian. June 11, 2023. ‘The hate never went away’: US schools face violent Pride backlash

The decision to observe Pride did not spark street brawls last year. This time, things were very different. Online: https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/11/pride-celebration-us-trans-gay-rights

[11] Brezinski, C. for CTV News. Sept. 21, 2023. Hundreds march in Regina as part of nationwide protests on gender identity in schools. Online: https://regina.ctvnews.ca/hundreds-march-in-regina-as-part-of-nationwide-protests-on-gender-identity-in-schools-1.6570065

[12] To learn more about these stereotypes and misconceptions, go here: https://www.the519.org/armyoflovers/

[13] Sexual activity, sex and gender are different concepts; one does not mean the other. Sex at birth is assigned based on a person’s reproductive system and other physical characteristics at birth, whereas gender is an individual’s personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (Statistics Canada: Understanding sex at birth and gender of people in Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220914/dq220914c-eng.htm). Sexual activity is activity that ranges from kissing and fondling to sexual intercourse.

[14] Egale Canada. May 2023. Pride Unravelled. Online: https://egale.ca/pride-2023-wont-unravel/

[15] McGarry, M. (2000). “Spectral Sexualities: Nineteenth-Century Spiritualism, Moral Panics and the Making of U.S. Obscenity Law”. Journal of Women’s History, Vol 12, No. 2 (Summer),8

[16] Bauer, Greta & Scheim, Ayden. (2015). Transgender People in Ontario, Canada: Statistics from the Trans PULSE Project to Inform Human Rights Policy: 4. 

[17] TransPulse Canada. November 2, 2020. Health and Wellbeing among racialized trans and nonbinary people. Issue no. 2.

[18] Wisdom2Action. 2019. 2SLGBTQ+ Youth & Gender Based Violence (GBV) Consultation. Synopsis shared by Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights here: https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/reports-analysis/2019-06-28-lgbtq2-youth-gender-based-violence-report . Report available at Wisdom2Action: https://www.wisdom2action.org/gbv/

[19] Beckett, L. for The Guardian. June 11, 2023. ‘The hate never went away’: US schools face violent Pride backlash

The decision to observe Pride did not spark street brawls last year. This time, things were very different. Online: https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/11/pride-celebration-us-trans-gay-rights

[20] Egale Canada. May 2023. Pride Unravelled. Online: https://egale.ca/pride-2023-wont-unravel/

[21] Thanks to PFLAG Halton for these helpful tips. Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxOPXJRu9xl/?img_index=1

[22] To learn more about these stereotypes and misconceptions, go here: https://www.the519.org/armyoflovers/

[23] Many of these suggestions for allies thanks to The 519: https://www.the519.org/armyoflovers/

 

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