The Advancement Of 2SLGBTQIA+ Rights
Queer and trans people in Canada are facing discrimination in the exact places where it costs the most: in housing, in healthcare, and in the basic paperwork of daily life. Queer and trans youth are disproportionately pushed out of their homes, whether by foster care or by their own parents, and are far too often ending up living on the street because of it. That is leading to a disproportionate share of trans and queer people struggling with addiction, poverty, and homelessness later in life.
While landlords don't even have to discriminate outright, queer and trans tenants end up in poverty, homelessness or desperate enough to take whatever job and whatever housing is on offer. Whether that cycle begins in youth or adulthood, it's why queer and trans people are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness and the poverty that comes with it, according to Statistics Canada.
Meanwhile, trans Canadians face real barriers just getting the healthcare they need to live as themselves, and hate crimes targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ people have been rising, not falling. No longer should our lives, our futures be dictated by the politicians, pundits, or power brokers. We're fighting to put the power in our hands, so we can have a say over our own lives.
Housing First For
Queer And Trans Youth
Queer and trans kids are disproportionately likely to be forced out of their homes, and once they're on the street, they're more likely to stay there. Homelessness isn't a footnote to the discrimination queer and trans youth face; for a lot of them, it's the direct result of it. That's why New Democrats will fight to ensure our national Housing First strategy is actually built for queer and trans youth, with shelters and supportive housing that are safe to walk into as who you are, not just available in theory.
Full Coverage For The Medications Queer And Trans People Rely On
HRT, PrEP, and ART are the healthcare that lets trans and queer people live and stay healthy as who they are. Right now, whether you can afford them depends on your province, your job, and your insurance, not on whether you need them. Although here in B.C., PrEP and ART are covered under Pharmacare, that access may be under threat, while HRT is still not yet covered for all. However, with a durable, cost-shared pharmacare program between the provinces and the federal government, access to HRT, PrEP, and ART can all be safely guaranteed for all. That's why New Democrats are demanding these treatments be fully covered under universal pharmacare, everywhere in this country, for everyone who needs them.
ID That Matches
Who You Are
Something as simple as boarding a plane or renewing a passport can mean being forced to out yourself to a stranger, or carrying an ID that doesn't match who you are; that's a daily reminder that the system wasn't built with you in mind. That's why New Democrats are calling for accessible, gender-appropriate federal identification, including a nonbinary option, and an end to the requirement that you carry a gender marker on ID just to board a flight.
Stronger Protection
From Hate Crimes
Hate crimes targeting 2SLGBTQIA+ people have been rising, and far too many people are left to navigate that fear with no real recourse. That's why New Democrats are fighting to strengthen laws against hate propaganda and hate crimes, and to make sure gender identity and expression are explicitly protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act. No longer will we tolerate pundits, politicians, and power brokers letting hate target us, all so they can hang onto power they don't deserve. It's time to take it back.