Policy, Human Rights & Structural Change

Naujawan Support Network in Brampton has been working since 2021 to end the exploitation of international students & workers in Ontario. So far, they’ve recovered more than $650,000 in unpaid wages for exploited workers and halted the deportation of dozens of students. If you are looking for direct support, you can contact them through their case contact form linked here. 

Recorded on May 28, 2024, this is a webinar from CLEOConnect, providing community workers with information about the legal framework of rights relating to 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and highlight legal issues affecting queer and trans communities in Ontario. It shares best practices for inclusivity, useful case studies, and resources to guide you to community and legal support.

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects queer and trans communities from discrimination. But our communities continue to experience hate speech, violence, and exclusion, as well as lower levels of income and wellbeing. What can you do to protect the human rights of your 2SLGBTQIA+ clients and provide supportive and inclusive services?

A starting point reading list for queer and trans community members interested in reading about the the intersections of being queer, trans, and Palestinian. 

Titles include:

• This Arab is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers

• Citation and Censorship: The Politics of Talking About the Sexual Politics of Israel (Jasbir Puar)

• “Even a Freak Like You Would Be Safe in Tel Aviv”: Transgender Subjects, Wounded Attachments, and the Zionist Economy of Gratitude (Saffo Papantonopoulou)

Our brief response to the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan launched on August 28th, 2022

This document is OCASI-PSI's online submission of its recommendations to Federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan. It was submitted on May 31st, 2021 as part of a larger community consultations undertaken by the Government of Canada. The document highlights 5 issues and priority areas identified by OCASI-PSI that includes: LGBTQIA+ inclusive settlement services; removing barriers to access to identity documents, health care, and other settlement supports; extended access to mental health support; National LGBTQIA+ Francophone Strategy; and dedicated funding for anti-racism related initiatives. 

On Sunday, August 28th, 2022, the Canadian Federal government released its first ever 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan. Canada now joins Sweden, the UK, Belgium, Malta, Ireland, Norway, Albania, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and Montenegro as countries that have/have had LGBTQI+ Action Plans and Strategies. 

The Plan covers the next 5 years (2022-2027), prioritizes funding 2SLGBTQI+ community groups and organizations and  furthers internal 2SLGBTQI+ priorities through a $100 million commitment. 

Rainbow Railroad’s 2021 Annual Report analyzes the issues being faced by LGBTQI+ people globally through the lens of the data Rainbow Railroad has collected over the course of 2021.

If someone is thinking of coming to Canada and they are a member of the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer/Questioning) community, they might have some questions. This page will provide them with some general information and useful links to other websites.

The material on the website is intended to provide only general information to ok2beme's clients and the public. 

In April 2021, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ sub-working group published a national action plan report that advocated for the inclusion of Two-spirit, gender, and sexually diverse Indigenous folks within the MMWIG inquiry. 

This 2022 study is a comparative thematic content analysis of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s (MOHLTC) website and the websites of each of the 14 local health integration networks (LHINs) in 2009 and 2017. It provides a snapshot and evaluation of the amount and type of online content concerning LGBTQ+-specific health needs and determines how well the programs and services aligned with the Ministry’s stated priorities and population health/SDH philosophy. Researchers argue that to promote healthy equity, the MOHLTC needs to acknowledge inequalities and intervene through political and social mechanisms that extend beyond HIV.