NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2021
Canada’s GBT2Q Communities Continue to Face Health and Social Challenges
Monday, May 17, 2021 – On this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) has released findings about the health and wellbeing of Canada’s gay, bi, trans, and queer men and Two-Spirit and non-binary people (GBT2Q).
Data gathered in CBRC’s 2019 (sample size: 6,200) and 2020 Sex Now (sample size: 1,650) surveys demonstrate that despite advances in social acceptance and legal rights in recent decades, stigma and discrimination against sexual and gender minorities persists in Canada today. GBT2Q people continue to experience elevated health and social needs, which are even higher among racialized and gender diverse communities. What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated health and social challenges and may be contributing to worsening disparities in health outcomes and access to support. Some of our findings are below.
DISCRIMINATION
In 2019, nearly 2-in-5 participants (38.7%) reported having experienced discrimination due to their sexual orientation in the past year. The number was higher for participants who identified either as bisexual (45.7%) or queer (49.6%). Additionally, the majority of trans (78.1%) and non-binary (80.3%) participants reported discrimination based on trans experience and gender expression respectively. Experiences of racial discrimination over the past year were also reported by about 4-in-5 (78.2%) participants who identified as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour (BIPOC).
ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
When compared with data from 2019, respondents from the 2020 survey expressed an increased desire for help with anxiety (45.9%; a 6.6% increase) and depression (41.5%; a 7.7% increase). Importantly, these figures were also higher among BIPOC, trans, and non-binary participants. In 2020, it was found that 50.0% of BIPOC respondents, 72.5% of trans respondents, and 67.4% of non-binary participants wanted help with anxiety. We found that 44.8% of BIPOC respondents, 58.8% of trans respondents, and 55.8% of non-binary participants wanted help with depression.
IDAHOT 2021: TOGETHER, RESISTING, SUPPORTING, HEALING!
The theme of IDAHOT 2021 was chosen to inspire and pay tribute to those working to draw attention to the discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. It is important to note that despite persistent health and social challenges, GBT2Q communities have continued to demonstrate their capacity for support and care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, 97.0% of participants in the 2020 survey reported providing emotional support to others since the start of the pandemic, with an additional 57.7% providing support to others for food and 44.5% with finances. Participants also reported receiving emotional (92.8%), food (44.5%) and financial support (30.8 %) from others.
ABOUT SEX NOW
Developed by CBRC with recruitment from coast to coast to coast in five languages, Sex Now has been collecting and sharing valuable data on the physical and mental health of the country’s GBT2Q communities for more than twenty years. If you are interested in learning more about the 2021 study, which launched in April, please visit sexnowsurvey.com.
ABOUT CBRC
Community-Based Research Centre promotes the health of GBT2Q through research and intervention development. CBRC’s core pillars–community-led research, knowledge exchange, network building, and leadership development–position the organization as a thought leader, transforming ideas into actions that make a difference in our communities. CBRC was incorporated in 1999 and is a non-profit charitable organization. Our main office is located in Vancouver, British Columbia; we also have satellite offices located in Edmonton, Toronto, and Halifax.
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For more information about this Sex Now study, please contact Ben Klassen, CBRC’s Research Manager: [email protected]
For interviews, please contact Christopher DiRaddo, CBRC’s Content Strategist: [email protected]
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