Hate 101
Anti-2SLGBTQI Hate in Canada
An Overview of Anti-2SLGBTQI in Canada
It’s no secret that 2SLGBTQI communities, our rights, and our freedoms are under attack.
There has been an exponential rise in anti-2SLGBTQI and hate-fueled movements across Canada. We see it in the anti-trans policies and policy proposals emerging provincially and federally, and in the rising rates of hate crimes, hate speech, and hate in the form of coordinated anti-trans protests in cities across Canada.
This rise in anti-2SLGBTQI hate can be described as a culture war. A culture war is a conflict between groups, especially liberal and conservative groups, that have different cultural ideals, beliefs, or philosophies.
2SLGBTQI Culture War Areas of Focus
When we look at the 2SLGBTQI culture war in Canada we see several common areas of focus:
Research shows that the current rise in anti-2SLGBTQI hate being experienced in Canada began in early 2022, with a significant wave of anti-2SLGBTQI activities continuing across the country from 2022 to the present. From this latest increase in hate crimes (see below), to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) warning of ongoing threats of violence, to individual drag performers and local 2SLGBTQI community organizations needing to take legal action to protect themselves, this trend of increasing violence and hate shows no sign of stopping.
What Does the Data Say?
Statistics Canada has reported that in 2023, hate crimes targeting sexual orientation increased 69% from the previous year.
These numbers are alarming but unsurprising, as this trend has been ongoing for years.
From 2016-2023, police-reported hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation have increased a staggering 388%. As noted by Statistics Canada, police-reported hate crimes have risen sharply for the third time in four years.
These types of hate crimes target a person’s identity – sexual orientation, race, or religion – and they impact not only the individual but the wider community.
How and Why Does Anti-2SLGBQI Hate Spread?
Anti-2SLGBTQI players lean on neutral/common sense concepts like free speech, democracy, and “protection of children”. They do not count on the majority to believe what they say, but rather, the majority will defend their right to say. By pairing anti-2SLGBTQI ideas with an easily given right (such as freedom), anti-2SLGBTQI rhetoric gains legitimacy.
Additionally, this rise in anti-2SLGBTQI hate and specifically anti-trans hate is directly linked to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and malformation. Coordinated anti-2SLGBTQI movements rely on the general public’s lack of familiarity with 2SLGBTQI people and issues to disseminate harmful disinformation and malformation.
Current Provincial Affairs
It’s no secret that 2SLGBTQI communities, our rights, and our freedoms are under attack. Across Canada, we’re seeing anti-trans policies and policy proposals emerging provincially and federally. Learn what’s happening in the provinces below:
