Gender-based violence also affects LGBTQ2+ youth – and we must act

Seventy per cent of trans and gender-diverse young people in Canada have experienced sexual harassment. More than one-third of trans youth ages 14-18 have been physically threatened or injured in the past year. Twenty to 40 per cent of homeless youth are LGBTQ2+ (saravyc.ubc.ca).

While gender-based violence is often defined as systemic violence against women, it has a debilitating impact not only on women, but on LGBTQ2+ communities, too.

Earlier this month, our team at Wisdom2Action, a social enterprise based in Halifax (wisdom2action.org), launched a groundbreaking national report on the experiences and priorities of LGBTQ2+ youth affected by such violence.

Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, we connected with more than 500 LGBTQ2+ young people across Canada, from coast to coast, through a survey, youth-led consultations and youth-led data analysis. We wanted to learn from their perspective how they are affected by gender-based violence, and what they want done about it.

We heard that, despite how far Canada has come, LGBTQ2+ young people are still struggling to be safe. From street harassment to unsafe families, schools, social services and more, gender-based violence, homophobia and transphobia shape the everyday experiences of LGBTQ2+ youth.

LGBTQ2S+ youth shared three key priorities that all of us should take action on: public education, action on housing and homelessness and more inclusive schools and social services.

We heard that public education to address bias and ignorance is a crucial mechanism to reduce street harassment and public acts of violence against LGBTQ2+ individuals, and to increase their acceptance among families.

Many participants shared negative experiences with educators in schools, and service providers in mainstream health and social services. Schools are spaces within which all young people should feel safe – and health and social services are where many young people turn when they have few other options. If we want to do justice to LGBTQ2+ youth, we need these spaces to set the highest standard on inclusion – and that takes a real commitment to equity and more investment in educator and service-provider education.

We heard that many LGBTQ2+ youth don’t feel safe accessing traditional homelessness services like shelters, and we must not only make more efforts to verify such services are inclusive to these communities, but also increase efforts to ensure they are specific to them, too.

Too many LGBTQ2+ young people are ousted from their homes, and they’re more likely to be targeted by violence when they’re on the streets. We need to make sure they have safe shelters and other housing options.

As a team, we are all too familiar with these realities. As LGBTQ2+ people ourselves, the violence visited upon our communities affects us, too. While we’ve witnessed improvements over the past decade – in terms of LGBTQ2+ adoption, marriage equality and trans rights throughout Canada – those legislative changes have failed to fully mitigate the violence and discrimination levelled at young people in our communities.

If we are truly committed to an equitable society – where everyone, regardless of their gender or sexuality, is afforded equal and safe access to public spaces, housing, employment and health care – we need to listen to those communities suffering discrimination, and heed their voices on what must be done about it.

LGBTQ2+ youth know themselves best – and they, better than anyone, know what they need to thrive. Uplifting their voices and perspectives is what our report is all about and we all need to listen.

Fae Johnstone (@FaeJohnstone) is a senior associate with Wisdom2Action Ltd. and an educator and advocate focused on LGBTQ2+ young people. Lisa Lachance (@LisaLachance3) is president of Wisdom2Action Ltd. and a doctoral student in Health at Dalhousie University.