Millions in Funding For 2SLGBTQI+ Communities

Cecilie Johnsen / Unsplash

The federal government calling it a first in Canada.

$100 million dollars will be spread out over five years for 2SLGBTQI+ communities across the country.

With the acronym expanding to be more inclusive, 2SLGBTQI+ stands for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse people. Ottawa has said they recognize that there is more to be done to make more inclusions and to fight harder against discrimination.

The action plan includes:

• Prioritize and sustain 2SLGBTQI+ community action by supporting 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations in advocating for and serving the communities they represent;
• Continue to advance and strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ rights at home and abroad including by building on the criminalization of conversion therapy and launching consultations on additional criminal law reforms, as well as continuing to invest in projects abroad through Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy;
• Support Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ resilience and resurgence including by continuing to fund Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations, placing the “2S” to represent Two-Spirit people at the front of the 2SLGBTQI+ acronym, and creating a dedicated Two-Spirit Senior Advisor position within the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat;
• Engage everyone in Canada in fostering a more inclusive future by investing in awareness campaigns to improve understanding of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and issues;
• Strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ data and evidence-based policy making by improving data collection, analysis, research, and knowledge on 2SLGBTQI+ communities and the barriers they face in Canada; and
• Embed 2SLGBTQI+ issues in the work of the Government of Canada by ensuring coordinated action to advance 2SLGBTQI+ priorities across federal government organizations.

Between fall 2020 and summer 2021, the Government of Canada undertook a community engagement process to inform the development of the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, including 25,636 survey responses, 102 written submissions, and roundtable discussions with over 100 participants.

No matter who you are or who you love, you should have every opportunity to succeed in Canada. Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, joined by the Minister for @WAGE_FEGC Marci Ien, launched Canada’s first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. Learn more: https://t.co/QzfafiHj0q

— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) August 28, 2022