LGBTQ2+ community connects in new ways in COVID-19 pandemic

LGBTQ2+ people in Saskatoon are finding new ways to connect with community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has exacerbated existing socioeconomic and healthcare inequities for these populations, heightening the need to provide services and supports.

“We already know that the 2SLGBTQ population experiences disproportionately higher rates of violence in all sectors,” said Jess Fisher, Outsaskatoon’s gender based violence education coordinator. “With the happening of COVID, it increases health and economic risks, it increases mental health issues.”

Social isolation can have detrimental mental health effects for gender and sexually diverse people stuck at home in situations that may not be affirming for them, Fisher said.

That’s especially true for older adults and youth, for whom community support can be vital.

In 2019, Outsaskatoon recorded about 3,400 visits to its social and support groups and nearly 7,200 drop-in visits, which is why it was important to limit the interruption of service as much as possible, executive director Rachel Loewen Walker said.

The first order of business when shifting service delivery was putting weekly social groups online.

“With these groups being online there’s a gap in the sense that people can’t be in the same room together,” Loewen Walker said. “But I know that the existing relationships, the existing space, the fact that there is a sense of belonging at Outsaskatoon has extended to those groups.

“That’s where the community comes in, is through those support groups; that’s that sense of belonging and connection.”

With the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU)

Pride Centre closed, Outsaskatoon is currently the only LGBTQ2+ service provider in the city.

The organization’s physical space is closed, but staff have been providing counselling and peer support over the phone.

Tech-savvy youth who normally make use of social groups for ages 10-19 have been meeting via a Discord channel, Zoom calls, movie nights and weekly events. And OUT staff and volunteers have been safely delivering supplies and groceries to LGBTQ2+ seniors.

There are challenges in community building for people without a phone or computer who would access

That’s where the community comes in, is through those support groups; that’s that sense of belonging and connection.

services in person, Fisher said.

But through working out of the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, one of Saskatoon’s community service hubs, OUT’S staff has been able to become well-versed in providing social-service supports like navigating housing and funding applications.

It speaks to the strength of the collaboration between Saskatoon’s social organizations, Fisher said.

“The interagency collaboration, the ability for our community to see an issue, come together and respond in a way that meets the needs of as many people as possible, I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”