Thousands of people marched Toronto’s streets on Thursday, calling for more supports for 2SLGBTQ+ refugees as they continue to face discrimination across the country.
The event came just a day ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) observed annually on May 17 as a way to recognize the ongoing discrimination and persecution faced by many 2SLGBTQ+ people around the world.
Thursday’s rally was part of Canada’s first National Rainbow Week of Action, organized by the Society of Queer Momentum, Fierté Canada Pride and the Enchanté Network. Across the country, 84 events were organized for this week calling for action to protect the 2SLGBTQ+ communities. This includes Thursday’s event at Church and Wellesley’s beloved community centre, The 519.
“[The goal] is to give folks from all walks of life a way to speak up, reject hate, and mobilize for a more free and equal Canada, for queer folks, and everyone else as well,” Fae Johnstone, executive director of the Society of Queer Momentum, told Queer & Now.
“We called [Rainbow Week of Action] in response to the staggering rise in homophobia and transphobia we’ve witnessed over the past three years and the beginning of regression in three Canadian provinces, and the restrictions of the rights and freedoms of some of our most vulnerable young people,” Johnstone continued.
While data for 2023 is not yet available, Statistics Canada reports that the number of police-reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation climbed from 258 in 2020 to 491 in 2022.
Johnstone explained that The 519’s rally was organized to speak up for the rights of “LGBTQ newcomers, migrants, and refugees around the world.”
“Recognizing the hate that we’re seeing here in Canada is part of a global trend and more and more folks are having to flee their countries that are no longer safe for them to be themselves, and Canada needs to do its part in supporting those folks.”
RAINBOW WEEK OF ACTION
The nationwide series of events comes as violence and discrimination against Canada’s 2SLGBTQ+ communities continues to be a problem, with organizers calling on all levels of government to take action “to advance rainbow equality, address hate and advocate for a more free and equal future for all our families.”
Lisa Duplessis, director of Programs and Community Services at The 519, told Queer & Now that one goal of yesterday’s event was to support refugee claimants.
“We are here to uplift the voices of our refugee claimants. Since 2013 we have [done] intake [for] more than 10,000 people looking for services. These are queer and trans refugees who need resources that are particularly unique to their intersections,” Duplessis shared.
“Most of them, if not all of them, are BIPOC, many [are] youth, and people who have fled persecution in their country of origin and have come to our shores for help. Looking for a safe space.”
Dupelessis explained that a group of refugee claimants approached the organization looking for help to get the attention of politicians who can address the issues they are facing.
“[The rally] was born from the voices of claimants who wanted to be heard, who no longer wanted to be flung around the city. Who wanted to feel welcome and safe in Canada as they thought they would have been when they started this journey.”
Duplessis says that many refugee claimants in Canada are not finding the safe space they are seeking.
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“They have found instead an unwelcoming space where people are saying, ‘You need to go back home, there are too many of you.’ A space that is sometimes homophobic, transphobic, racist and often xenophobic. So, today we are uplifting their voices around those issues and challenges they face as they settle in Canada.”
Duplessis explained that a large issue is the fact that many newcomers are not able to find shelter close to resources designed to support 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
“We’re doing our best to work with our communities in Niagara, in Lindsay, in Kingston… to help ensure that there are services for folks.”
2SLGBTQ+ REFUGEES MAKING A NEW HOME IN CANADA
The 519 reports that over 3,000 people attended Thursday’s rally. Patricia Ojore was among the participants. She came to Canada from Nigeria, where she explained that she feared for her life as a queer woman.
“Back in my country, same-sex marriage is not accepted. When you’re in my country you get discriminated (against) when they find out you’re in a relationship with another lady, it’s an abomination. So, I had to run away to come to Canada,” Ojore told Queer & Now.
“You cannot walk freely… If I want to get anything I can’t go out, I’m scared that they might stone me to death.”
Rally participant Albert Insaidoo explained that while he worked as a politician in Ghana, he received death threats while advocating for the rights of queer communities.
“This is an occasion to show to the world that people, irrespective of their sexual preference, deserve to be treated equally,” Insaidoo said, adding that now that he lives in Canada, it’s personally important for him to advocate for the rights of queer people with similar experiences.
CALLING FOR CHANGE
Duplessis has a personal connection to the issue, as she came to Canada as a refugee from Jamaica 13 years ago.
“I know that our community makes a significant contribution to the fabric that is Canada. It has made Canada have such a rich culture, and I would like to see us be more welcoming.”
“I would like to see a reduction in the immense racism and xenophobia that people are facing, I would like to see more shelter spaces, I would like to see more services available, more funding for services,” she continued, explaining that the amount of funding for refugee services is limited.
So, what would she like to see change?
“I would like to see every level of government make the effort to ensure that our claimants are welcome. I’d like to see a Canada that stands by its commitment to welcome immigrants.”
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Johnstone echoed this.
“I think we need to see more investment in supports for 2SLGBTQ+ newcomers and refugees. We need to see more engagement in public education to reject hate. And better services and supports on the local level for 2SLGBTQ+ young people and their families,” she said.
“Building a more free and equal Canada is a journey we should all be on.”
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