In a vibrant Canadian community, celebrating the diversity and inclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants is at the heart of Canada’s Pride and 2SLGBTQ+ Immigrants Celebration.
The month of June is recognized worldwide as Pride Month, including in Canada. As we remember the struggles the 2SLGBTQ+ community has faced in achieving legal and social equality. It is a time to honor the 2SLGBTQ+ community across the country.
A protest against discrimination led to the first Pride event in Canada. In 1971, Vancouver and Ottawa were the sites of the first protests, according to Women and Gender Equity Canada. It was not uncommon for Canadian cities to celebrate Pride celebrations by 1973. It includes Montréal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.
The government of Canada now recognizes 2SLGTQ+ people throughout the month of June in many different ways. You may display a rainbow flag on your house, business, school, or city hall, which is a common sight.
To cap off the festivities, Toronto hosts one of the largest Pride parades in the world. Approximately 100 organizations will participate in this year’s march, which takes place on June 25. Celebrations, concerts, parties, and conversations take place across Canada throughout the month.
In order to ensure Pride events in Canada proceed as scheduled, the federal government pledged $1.5 million recently to Pride organizations.
The world’s safest travel destination for those with 2SLGBT+ identities in Canada, a popular destination for 2SLGBT+ immigrants. Tolerance and safety are major reasons for this. In accordance with the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is prohibited to discriminate against a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Applications for immigration cannot be denied based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Canada’s 2SLGBTQ+ immigrants
A person who identifies as 2SLGBTQ+, regardless of their immigration status. It is eligible for the same rights and liberties as someone who is heterosexual or cisgender and possesses comparable documentation. Marriage, adoption, and sponsorship of same-sex partners or spouses are all possible for same-sex pairs. It is equally legal and privileged for couples to be married or live together.
It is common for immigrants who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ to be able to immigrate to Canada. In 2018, nearly half of bisexual, heterosexual, and homosexual immigrants (49.6%) and 55% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender immigrants aged 25 to 64 had a bachelor’s degree. This percentage is higher than among people born in Canada with the same sexual orientation.
The study also found that homosexuals and bisexuals speak both Canadian’s official languages most frequently at home (6.3 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively) compared to heterosexuals (3 percent).
As a 2SLGBTQ+ immigrant to Canada
The same immigration procedures apply to anyone who identifies as 2SLGBTQ+.
When applying for citizenship in Canada, IRCC won’t ask about your sexual orientation or gender identity. When applying to immigrate, you will be asked to indicate your gender. To indicate a female, a male, or another gender, you will write “F.”.
When your gender identity changes or differs from what is stated on your application to IRCC, you may apply for a change to the information on your permanent resident card, work visa, or citizenship certificate. The information on your application must match the information on your passport, which you may not be able to change in your home country to reflect your identity. Additional paperwork is not required.
2SLGBTQ+ rights in Canada – Its History
As far as immigration concerns are concerned, 2SLGBTQ+ rights have had a controversial past in Canada. “Homosexuals” are prohibited from immigrating to Canada under the Immigration Act of 1953.
Canada decriminalized homosexuality in 1969 when then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau declared that the “state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.” However, the immigration of people who identified as homosexual was not approved until 1978.
Following Ontario’s adoption law in 1995, other provinces allowed same-sex adoptions. The Canadian Human Rights Act was amended the following year to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination. Accordant to a 1999 Supreme Court judgment, same-sex couples in Ontario should be granted the same benefits as married couples or common-law partners. By finding a spouse to be a spouse of the opposite sex, the court ruled that the definition of spouse was unconstitutional.
Canada has officially legalized same-sex unions since 2005. Belgium (2003) and the Netherlands (2000) were the other countries to do this.
A new set of human rights protections have been provided to Canadians who identify as transgender or transsexual following the passage of Bill C-279 in 2013. The Canadian Human Rights Act now includes gender identity and gender expression as grounds for protection against discrimination.
