Question Period Note: Advancing LGBTQ2 Equality

How is the Government advancing equality for LGBTQ2 Canadians?

• Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression continues to be a reality in Canada, and it must be eliminated.
• Within its first 100 days in office, the Government intends to:
o Re-introduce legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy and extend coverage of the ban to include people over 18 years of age.
o Deliver the first federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan to guide the work to address the priorities of LGBTQ2 communities.
• This work builds on the historic investments in LGBTQ2 communities. Budget 2019 invested $20 million to enhance the capacity of LGBTQ2 organizations. Budget 2021 included $15 million for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund to support community initiatives to overcome key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities.

Federal LGBTQ2 Secretariat
• On October 26, 2021, the Government of Canada issued an Order in Council to transfer the control and supervision of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat to the Department for Women and Gender Equality.

LGBTQ2 Action Plan
• On November 27, 2020, the government launched a consultation process with LGBTQ2 communities to inform the first federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan. A national online survey, in the field from November 27, 2020 to February 28, 2021, received over 25,000 responses.
• Engagement activities also included written submissions from organizations representing and/or serving LGBTQ2 communities, and a series of roundtable discussions with community leaders, organizations and researchers. Conversations are ongoing with the 2SLGBTQQIA+ sub-working group at CIRNAC regarding plans for additional consultation with Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ communities.
• Budget 2021 included $7.1 million over three years to continue to support the work of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat and enable the continued development of an LGBTQ2 Action Plan.
• The Action Plan is being developed through an intersectional lens and is structured around six thematic pillars: Safety and Justice, Housing and Homelessness, Health and Wellbeing, Employment and Workplace, Stigma, Isolation and Resilience, and International.

Funding
• Budget 2019 provided $20 million over three years to enhance the capacity of LGBTQ2 organizations. Initial funding was distributed to seven leading organizations through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund, and was subsequently increased for a total of over $4.9 million:
o Fierté Canada Pride ($650,000)
o Conseil québécois LGBT ($549,963)
o The Enchanté Network ($1,505,000)
o Egale Canada Human Rights Trust ($899,361)
o Rainbow Refugee Society ($582,466)
o 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation ($650,000)
o Canadian Trans Network ($99,984)
• In March 2020, a CFP was launched across the country to distribute the remainder of the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund. In February 2021, the Government of Canada announced funding for 76 LGBTQ2 community-led projects across Canada through the Fund. Of these, 70 were new projects and 6 were amendments for the organizations funded in 2019.
• Budget 2021 announced $15 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund to support community-informed initiatives that address key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities.

Conversion Therapy
• The government committed to re-introducing conversion therapy legislation within its first 100 days in office, to eliminate the practice of conversion therapy for everyone, and extend coverage of the ban to include people over 18 years of age.
• 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, and referred to the Senate in December 2020.
• According to a recently released study, up to 20% 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.

Ending the blood deferral period for men who have sex with men (MSM)
• In May 2019, Health Canada 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.
• Health Canada regulates the blood system and as the regulator, maintains an arm’s length relationship with CBS and HQ. Health Canada 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.
• In recent months, the CBS has publicly affirmed its intention to remove the current deferral period for MSM, and transition to a sexual behaviour-based screening for all donors. CBS intends to make a submission recommending this change to Health Canada by the end of 2021.

Other actions
• In addition, the Government of Canada has taken the following concrete actions to address existing inequalities:
o Creation of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat in 2017 to support the first Special Advisor role on LGBTQ2 Issues.
o In 2017, the Prime Minister delivered a formal apology to survivors of the LGBT Purge and to LGBTQ2 communities in Canada more broadly for their historical unjust treatment.
o In 2017, the Government of Canada amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination.
o In 2016, section 159 (anal intercourse) was repealed from the Criminal Code, removing discriminatory provisions. In 2018, the Government passed the Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act, which established a procedure for expunging certain historically unjust same-sex sexual convictions (including gross indecency, buggery, anal intercourse, and other offences under the National Defense Act).
o Canada is a global leader in advancing LGBTI rights. This includes its role as co-chair of the Review of Laws and Policies working group in the Equal Rights Coalition. In Spring 2020, Global Affairs Canada hosted the UN Independent Expert on LGBTI issues in a virtual engagement. Targeted programming includes advancing LGBTI rights internationally through the Feminist International Assistance Policy (announced February 2019, $30M over five years and $10M ongoing).

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