Social Locations – 2SLGBTQ+ Communities
Equity Framework > Social Locations > 2SLGBTQ+ Communities
2SLGBTQ+ stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer communities. The plus symbol (+) reflects communities that have faced discrimination due to sex, gender, and sexual orientations [1]. 2S at the beginning honours Indigenous communities as the first peoples of this land and the long history of gender and sexual diversity on Turtle Island [2]. Toronto is also home to a large and vibrant two-spirited Indigenous community [3].
Canada is home to approximately 1 million people who are 2SLGBTQ+. This represents 4% of the Canadian population aged 15 years and older. Over 100,00 people in Canada are transgender (59,460) or non-binary (41,355). This accounts for 0.33% of the population aged 15 years and over [4]. Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ people continue to experience social, economic, and health inequities, as well as violence, as a result of systemic inequities [5].
References
- City of Toronto. (n.d.). Gender Inclusive Practices: Building an Equitable City. Available from: http://insideto.toronto.ca/edhr/pdf/gender-inclusive-practices.pdf
- Canvas Arts Action Programs. (n.d.). Identity Terms. Available from: https://www.canvasprograms.ca/identity
- McCaskill, D. N., FitzMaurice, K. D., & Cidro, J. (2011). Toronto Aboriginal Research Project (TARP) Report: Research Summary. Available from: https://tarp.indigenousto.ca/
- Statistics Canada. (2022). Canada at a Glance, 2022: LGBTQ2+ people. Available from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/12-581-x/2022001/sec6-eng.htm
- Mills, S., , Dion, M., ,Thompson-Blum, D., Borst, C., & Diemert, J.. (2019). Mapping the Void: The Two-Spirit and LGBTIQ+ experiences in Hamilton, McMaster University, June 11, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2020, from https://labourstudies.mcmaster.ca/documents/mappingthevoid.pdf