A Brief submitted to the Standing Committee on Health for the Committee’s study of LGBTQ2S Health in Canada

The federal government invited briefings regarding the health of LGBTQ2S+ Canadians. As a research centre dedicating to improving health equity among stigmatized and vulnerable youth, we recognized this as a vital opportunity to contribute our expertise and draw attention to the specific needs of LGBTQ2S+ youth in Canada.

From ensuring that LGBTQ2S+ youth are counted in federal surveys and datasets to ensuring that queer and trans youth are protected from discrimination at school and in medical settings, we made policy recommendations that we hope will translate research to practice— and ultimately, improve health outcomes for LGBTQ2S+ youth. Based on our vision towards improved health outcomes and health equity for marginalized youth across Canada and internationally, we make the following three recommendations:

• Enhance measurement of LGBTQ2S youth in all population-based federal surveys and administrative data
• Provide federal guidance on human rights protections for sexual and gender minority people in primary and secondary schools
• Improve access to healthcare for LGBTQ2S youth

Read the full report here.