Question Period Note: 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan

How is the Government advancing equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities through the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan?

•The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the rights of 2SLGBTQI+ people.
•The Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan will guide our work to fight discrimination, address issues of concern to 2SLGBTQI+ communities, break down barriers, and advance rights and equality.
•Budget 2022 committed $100M over five years to support the Plan’s implementation and build a fairer and more equal Canada for 2SLGBTQI+ people.
•Since the launch of the Action plan, Canada has:
o Lifted the Blood Ban on men who have sex with men;
o Expanded Bill C-66 to enable convictions for bawdy house and indecency-based offences to be eligible for expungement;
o Completed consultations to review criminal law regarding HIV non-disclosure;
o Issued a call for proposals for capacity funding for 2SLGBTQI+ organizations;
o Announced $25M to create Canada's first-ever LGBTQ Entrepreneurship Program; and
o Partnered with non-profit organization Rainbow Railroad to protect LGBTQI+ refugees and welcome them to Canada.
•We are proud of our progress to date and will continue to work with all partners to advance the rights and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada through the Action Plan, and publicly reporting on its implementation

Investment
Budget 2022 committed $100M over 5 years to implement the Action Plan:
•Up to $75M for 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations that advocate for and serve their communities:
o Up to $40M in new capacity-building support, prioritizing funding for 2SLGBTQI+ communities experiencing additional marginalization; and,
o Up to $35M in new project-focused support aimed at addressing specific barriers to 2SLGBTQI+ equality.
•Up to $7.7M for new community-led research, and new data collection and research to inform future 2SLGBTQI+ initiatives;
•Up to $5.6M to develop and implement awareness to break down stigma and end discrimination for 2SLGBTQI+ people; and
•Up to $11.7M to stabilize and expand the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat

Results
On February 27, 2023, the Government released a six-month progress report on the Action Plan’s implementation. Key accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
•Appointing a dedicated Two-Spirit senior advisor to provide advice on unique issues facing Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ communities (WAGE);
•Completing Canada Pride Citation ceremonies for RCMP claimants under the LGBT Purge Class Action Settlement Agreement (RCMP).

Since then, the Government has made additional advancements in implementing the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. These include:
•Launching a $25.5M Call for Proposals for the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund (WAGE);
•Expanding the grounds for expungement to include additional historically unjust 2SLGBTQI+ offences, such as bawdy house offences and other indecency-based offences, to the schedule of Bill C-66, the Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act in March 2023 (Public Safety);
•Undertaking Canada Pride Citation ceremonies for Federal Public Service claimants under the LGBT Purge Class Action Settlement Agreement (WAGE).
•Releasing intersectional data from the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan survey (WAGE);
•Approving $7.7M research implementation plan to strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ data and evidence-based policy making (WAGE).
•Completing public opinion research; the first phase of work in the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan’s awareness campaign (WAGE); and,
•Completing consultations to review the criminal law regarding HIV non-disclosure and publishing a “what we heard” report (Justice Canada)

BACKGROUND:
•On August 28, 2022, the Prime Minister launched Canada’s first-ever Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan…Building our future, with pride.
•The five-year Action Plan seeks to advance rights and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada. It also seeks to address and prevent discrimination and stigma based on sexual orientation, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression from emerging or worsening for future 2SLGBTQI+ generations.
•The Action Plan will prioritize community action and coordinate the Government’s work to advance 2SLGBTQI+ issues across the federal government using a holistic approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of the types of inequities facing communities.
•The Action Plan is an evergreen document that builds on progress the Government of Canada has already made and will continue to guide the Government of Canada’s work into the future.

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