Question Period Note: Support for LGBTQ2 Communities

• While Canada continues to make great strides in advancing the rights of LGBTQ2 Canadians and eliminating discrimination, much remains to be done.
• Our government understands that stigma continues to be a reality for many, and that discrimination due to homophobia, biphobia and transphobia throughout the world must be eliminated. That is why our government prioritized the reintroduction of the Bill to ban the practice of conversion therapy, which has now passed second reading.
• That is also why we have provided historic investments in LGBTQ2 communities throughout Canada. In 2019, we created the first LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund to help strengthen organizations, and enable greater equality and inclusion for LGBTQ2 Canadians.
• As we continue to work through these issues, we remain committed to seeing through the ban on conversion therapy, further investing in LGBTQ2 community-led work, eliminating the blood ban for men who have sex with men, and consulting with communities to lay the groundwork for a federal LGBTQ2 action plan.

Prohibiting the practice of conversion therapy in Canada
• LGBTQ2 advocates have been vocal in calling for a ban on conversion therapy. On March 9, 2020, the Minister of Justice introduced legislation to criminalize conversion therapy practices. Following prorogation, the Bill was reintroduced on October 1, 2020. The second reading of C-6 occurred from October 26 to 28, 2020.
• Three provinces have enacted legislation under their responsibility for health-related matters specifying that conversion therapy is not an insured health service and banning health care professionals from providing treatment to minors that seeks to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, unless they are capable of consenting and consent as “mature minors” (Ontario in 2015; Nova Scotia in 2018; and, Prince Edward Island in 2019). Quebec has tabled legislation in October 2020.
• Municipally, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, St. Albert and Strathcona County have banned businesses from providing conversion therapy.
• According to a recently released study, up to 20 per cent of Canadian gay, bisexual, transgender and 2 Spirit men have experienced conversion change efforts – of these, approximately 40 %, or 47,000 individuals across the country—have experienced conversion therapy.
Additional investments to support LGBTQ2 organizations
• This Mandate Letter commitment is a follow-up to a $20M investment in Budget 2019 (over two years), which led to the creation of the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund at the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE).
• Budget 2019 also provided an additional $14 million (over two years), starting in 2019-2020, to the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program (BCAH) for Local Festivals. This includes at least $2 million invested towards local Pride festivals.
Ending the blood deferral period for men who have sex with men (MSM)
• In May 2019, Health Canada (HC) approved a request by Canadian Blood Services (CBS) and Héma-Québec (HQ) to reduce the deferral period for blood donation for MSM from one year to three months.
• HC regulates the blood system and as the regulator, maintains an arm’s length relationship with CBS and HQ. HC has no authority to direct CBS and HQ to make changes to donor policies for reasons other than maintaining safety. Rather, HC must await an application from the CBS and HQ seeking to change regulations. These applications must be supported by evidence obtained through scientific research. The Government of Canada has invested in this research.
Consult civil society to establish an LGBTQ2 action plan
• While LGBTQ2 communities in Canada have been engaged on an ongoing basis, formal consultation will be undertaken to adequately inform a whole-of-government action plan.
• Action plans to address LGBT equality have been implemented in other western nations, including the United Kingdom, the Government of Canberra (Australia) and the Netherlands. Domestically, Quebec has implemented its second five-year action plan against homophobia (2017-2022) that is coordinated through the Department of Justice.
Continue the work of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat in promoting LGBTQ2 equality, protecting LGBTQ2 rights and addressing discrimination against LGBTQ2 communities
• The LGBTQ2 Secretariat, now housed within Canadian Heritage, was originally designed to support the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on LGBTQ2 Issues, with three years of funding ending in March 2020. Budget 2019 announced an additional year of funding, ending in March 2021.

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