Disparity from Inside Out: The Life of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians

Almost one-third of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians consider their mental as fair or poor, three times more likely than non-2SLGBTQ+ Canadians. 

There is a huge gap in the perception of mental health status between 2SLGBTQ+ people and non-2SLGBTQ+ people. 

2SLGBTQ+ is the acronym for Two-Spirit (2S), Lesbian (L), Gay (G), Bisexual (B), Transgender (T), Queer or Questioning (Q), and the plus sign represents people who see themselves as belonging to diverse sexual and gender identities. 

There has been a history of social disparity between 2SLGBTQ+ people and their non-2LGBTQ+ counterparts due to social injustice. 2SLGBTQ+ people suffer from inequities that limit their access to resources and opportunities. Many studies have shown that these social hindrances manifest into mental health issues among the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

In an article by Miriam M. Moagi and colleagues, the main reasons why 2SLGBTQ+ people are more prone to mental health challenges are due to internal stressors and external stressors. 

The study indicates that internal stressors are mostly self-hatred induced by systematic mistreatment and prejudice. Meanwhile, external stressors are outside factors caused by how society treats people from the community. Those are discrimination, stigmatization, or victimization. Discrimination means treating people cruelly and unfairly based on hate toward their gender and sexual identities. Stigmatization perpetuates harmful stereotypes. Victimization is harassment and bullying. 

These stressors all together create a sense of social exclusion that denies 2SLGBTQ+ people access to social welfare, opportunity, and resources. As a result, 2SLGBTQ+ people are more likely to be low-income, unemployed, or even homeless. These struggles are emotionally and mentally draining, which leads to several mental health issues among 2SLGBTQ+ people. 

In a news article, Jen Christensen mentions the term “minority stress”. “Minority stress” is a unique type of stress that 2SLGBTQ people have to endure because of the attack based on their marginalized identities. Researchers find that “minority stress” plays a huge role in causing mental health challenges 

Mental health issues and financial challenges faced by 2SLGBTQ+ people seem not to be a causal relationship. This is more of a loophole where one leads to another, and circles back to themself. In an article by Denio Lourenco, it is confirmed that there is a prominent income gap between 2SLGBTQ+ and non-2SLGBTQ people. 

 

Researchers indicate that mental health problems and discrimination may go hand-in-hand to widen the income gap against gender and sexual minorities. However, lower income among 2SLGBTQ+ people can be traced back to the fact that the majority of this community are of younger generations who may have just started their careers. Yet, that does not overshadow the sustaining negative impact of systematic discrimination. 

In the same article by Denio Lourenco, it is found that different educational status barely has an influence over the income gap between members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and non-members. This explains why even though the majority of 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians (25 or older) have a bachelor’s degree, most of them are still more likely to earn lower income than their non-2SLGBTQ+ counterparts. 

Marriage in the 2SLGBTQ+ community has drastically increased since the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act. In some studies, long-term partnership or marriage can contribute to better life quality among 2SLGBTQ+ people. However, the percentage of married 2SLGBTQ+ couples is nowhere near that of straight couples. 

Bisexual people tend to be unhappy while in a partnership or marriage than most. This is due to the distinct barriers that only they are subjected to. When social disparity does not cease, challenges from every life aspect can prevent 2SLGBTQ+ people from tying the knot. 

Disparity is the common theme in this overall assessment of the 2SLGBTQ+ Canadian life. However wrong they are, social discrimination and prejudice still somewhat dictate 2SLGBTQ+ people’s livelihood, from the way that they view themselves to how they exist. Hopefully, more changes are coming so that 2SLGBTQ+ life can reach the same quality as that of their non-2SLGBTQ+ counterparts.