This resource is one sections compiled for resources regarding personal safety. To access the other sections, you can follow our link here, it will take you to the introductory resource on Safety which contains a directory to the other sections.
These topics contain content that may be triggering to some, if you feel that you are in crisis please reach out to one of the following or go here for a list of crisis and helplines available in your area.
For Indigenous Peoples, Hope for Wellness: 1-855-242-3310 Available 24/7
For Trans people of all ages, Trans LifeLine: 1-877-330-6366 Available 24/7
For Youth 20 and under, Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 Available 24/7
For people with thoughts of suicide, Suicide Prevention and Support: 1-833-456-4566 Available 24/7
2SLGBTQ+ stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Asexual, and Androgynous. While it is important to include and remember everyone who fits under the 2SLGBTQQIPAA umbrella, for conciseness it has been shorted to 2SLBTQ+ here.
Homophobia is the irrational hatred, intolerance and fear of lesbian, and gay people; however, it is important to know that anyone in a same-gender relationship can experience homophobia, even if they themselves do not identify as a homosexual. These negative attitudes fuel the myths, stereotypes and discrimination that can lead to violence against LGB people.
Homophobic acts include:
Jokes
Teasing and harassment
Microaggressions
Derogatory slurs
Physical and verbal assault
Denying LGB people the same rights that heterosexual people enjoy
Assuming someone’s sexuality
Focusing exclusively on someone’s sexuality
Dismissing, rejecting or ignoring someone’s sexuality
Biphobia is the fear, dislike and prejudice directed towards bisexual, pansexual and any other non-monosexual – that is the attraction to more than one gender – orientated people. Biphobia occurs within both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities. One of the most insidious and prevalent types of biphobia, is called bi erasure.
Bi erasure is the invisibility of non-monosexuality both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ communities. This is largely done through assumptions made about people’s sexuality based on the presumed gender of their partner, and the hurtful stereotypes about bisexuality being just a phase. When those who identify as non-monosexual are therefore assumed to be homosexual when they are in same-gender relationships and assumed to be heterosexual when they are in different-gender relationships. This is contrary to the fact that someone is always non-monosexual, regardless of who they are dating.
Biphobic myths and stereotypes include:
Believing that bisexuality is just a phase, or a transitionary status on the way to homosexuality
Believing that bisexuality is just an excuse to be promiscuous
Believing that all bisexual people want nothing more than to have threesomes
Be it as the third or “unicorn” for a heterosexual couple, or adding a random third person with their partner
Thinking that bisexuals can’t make up their minds
Thinking that bisexuals will inevitably leave or cheat on their partner for someone else of the opposite gender
e.g. if a bisexual person is dating a man, the thought is that they will cheat with or leave their partner for a woman.
Bisexuality: The Invisible Letter "B" | Misty Gedlinske
Transphobia is the intense hatred and intolerance towards Transgendered people. Transgender is both itself a gender identity as well as an umbrella term used to talk about those whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth; those who do identify with the gender they were assigned at birth are referred to as cisgender. Transgender includes people who identify as non-binary, agender, gender queer, Two-Spirit – though not all people who identify as Two-Spirit are transgender and not all Indigenous transgender people identify as Two-Spirit – a third gender unique to their culture, or any other gender nonconforming identity. All transgender people can experience transphobia.
Transphobia can be found in both LGBTQ+ communities and heterosexual communities. Transgender people are at a higher risk to be assaulted, raped and/or murdered than other members of the LGBTQ+ community; and that risk increases for transgender people who are BIPOC.
Transphobic acts include:
Jokes about “trannies” and “traps”
Teasing and harassment
Microaggressions
Physical and verbal assault
Denying transgender people, the same rights that cisgender people enjoy
Assuming someone’s gender
Expecting transgender people to pass as a cisgender person, or to be perfectly androgynous
Asking transgender people about their genitalia or how they have sex
Using someone’s deadname – the name they were given at birth but changed for a more gender reaffirming name
Asking a transgender person what their deadname was
Using the wrong personal pronouns to talk about someone
Personal pronouns include he/him, she/her, they/them, zie/zir
Dismissing or arguing against someone’s personal pronouns
They/them has historically been used when someone does not know the gender of the person that they are talking about
All words are made up, languages are constantly evolving; after all we do not still talk like Shakespeare
Dismissing or denying someone’s gender identity
Refusing to date someone simply because they are transgender
Someone realizing that the person they’ve been flirting with or dating is transgender and then assaulting or murdering them because they don’t want to be perceived as homosexual.
Two-Spirited or LGBTQ+ Indigenous Peoples (2SLGBTQ+) in Canada experience elevated rates of mental health issues and substance abuse
2SLGBTQ+ youths are 2 – 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths
2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence, intimate partner abuse, and harassment
2SLGBTQ+ people experience higher rates of poverty and homelessness than non-Indigenous LGBTQ+ populations
An Ontario study found that 73% of Two-Spirited and Transgender Indigenous Peoples have experienced some form of violence, with 43% having experienced physical and/or sexual violence
The rate of discrimination experienced among youths who identify as – or are assumed to be – 2SLGBTQ+ is 3 times higher than heterosexual youths
Resources:
If someone is making you feel unsafe, remember that it is not your fault and that you are not alone. Please consider reaching out for help.
If you need someone to talk to, you can reach a professional counsellor at Kids Help Phone 24/7 by either calling 1-800-668-6868, or by texting “Connect” to 686868
If you are in need of immediate mental health counselling and/or crisis intervention, you can reach a professional and culturally competent counsellor at Hope for Wellness 24/7 via their online chat counselling services, or by calling 1-855-242-3310
If you have experienced sexual assault and/or sexual harassment and are looking for support, you can use the Canadian Government’s Sexual Misconduct Support Search Tool to find resources near you
If you are trans or Two-Spirit and you are in crisis or need to talk to someone who understands what you are going through, you can reach call the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-330-6366. While their operators are guaranteed to be on call during the following hours, operators are also frequently available during off-hours, so please call whenever you need to
Eastern: 10am – 4am
Central: 9am – 3am
Pacific: 7am – 1am
If you are being bullied and need someone to talk to you can call or text the Bullying Hotline Canada at 877-352-4497, or through email 24/7/365 at support@bullyingcanada.ca
If you are under the age of 30 and are either in crisis or in need of someone to talk to you can access the YouthSpace.ca crisis and emotional support through their online chat portal or by texting them at 778-783-0177, from 6pm – 12am PST 365 days a year
If you are in crisis, you can reach out to Crisis Services Canada either by calling them 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566 or by text at 45645 from 4pm – 12 am EST
