Impacts of COVID-19
2SLGBTQ+ Youth in a Pandemic
What does it mean to release these recommendations during a global pandemic?
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted youth, 2SLGBTQ+ people, racialized folks, disabled folks, people experiencing poverty and housing insecurity, and many others. The inequities that exist in Ontario have been intensified by the pandemic.
This has looked like:
2SLGBTQ+ people facing higher risks of COVID-19, as they have higher rates of chronic illnesses and other conditions that make them immunocompromised. ¹
Racialized 2SLGBTQ+ people are reported to be more likely to test positive for COVID-19 or know someone who has been ²
A disproportionate number of 2SLGBTQ+ people being impacted by COVID-19 related lay-offs and reduced work hours, increasing financial instability ³ ⁴ ⁵
Increased isolation for 2SLGBTQ+ people of all ages, but especially youth who rely on spaces like Gay-Straight Alliances, community supports and grassroots gatherings ⁶ ⁷
Cancellation of Pride events can seriously reduce 2SLGBTQ+ youth access to support ⁸ especially for those whose homes are not 2SLGBTQ+ positive
2SLGBTQ+ people who already experience isolation are harder hit, which can result in greater mental health struggles ⁹
Reduced access to crucial supports
Some health clinics being repurposed for COVID response efforts, which means that some 2SLGBTQ+ people who are HIV-positive are required to travel much farther for treatment and care ¹⁰
Gender-affirming surgeries being delayed due to shifts in hospital and clinic priorities, which has serious impacts on trans folks, for whom these procedures are life-saving and life-affirming ¹¹
2SLGBTQ+ immigrants and refugees (especially migrant students), trying to navigate access to financial supports, immigration processes, and community connections while often being without any friends or family ¹²
The closure of 2SLGBTQ+ businesses - which may often be one of the few safe spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ youth to connect with others ¹³
Disproportionately being targeted by enforcement orders
For example, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association & the Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project found that people in same-sex relationships “were stopped, questioned about their relationship, and required to provide identification, while heterosexual couples in the same spaces were allowed to walk by without suspicion” ¹⁴
The disruption to resources or supports for 2SLGBTQ+ refugees, especially in the global context where they may face increased harm of violence under the guise of pandemic-related restrictions
Navigating being online from home ¹⁵
Complexities for those who are not ‘out’ to their coworkers or colleagues while working from home ¹⁶
The impacts on 2SLGBTQ+ youth are still being understood, but what we know is that 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario need things to change, more than ever.
Resources
1 Researchers scramble to inform doctors of barriers LGBTQ people face in getting COVID-19 care2 Impact of COVID-19 on Canada’s LGBTQI2S Community, Egale, African-Canadian Civic Engagement Council and INNOVATIVE Research Group, August 20203 Impact of COVID-19: Canada’s LGBTQI2S Community in Focus, Egale and INNOVATIVE Research Group, April 20204 Checking in on 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Sault Ste. Marie 5 How are LGBTQ youths coping with Pride events cancelled amid COVID-19?6 Queer Canadians ‘Particularly Vulnerable’ to Effects of COVID-197 Professor Peter Newman explains why a “one size fits all” approach to the pandemic further marginalizes those who are LGBTQ2SIA+ 8 Queer Canadians ‘Particularly Vulnerable’ to Effects of COVID-19 and Petition: International Students Need Support! #FixPGWP 9 COVID-19 forces closing of Fredericton's only LGBTQ nightclub and Another casualty of COVID-19: LGBTQ bar The Beaver closes for good on Queen Street West and Why the pandemic might change queer spaces and ‘Devastating’ loss for Toronto’s LGBTQ community as Church St.’s Club 120 closes for good10 Stay Off the Grass: COVID-19 and Law Enforcement in Canada, Canadian Civil Liberties Association & Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project, June 202011 Taking Root: The rise of Grassroots Activism in Canada 12 Queer Canadians ‘Particularly Vulnerable’ to Effects of COVID-19 and Petition: International Students Need Support! #FixPGWP13 COVID-19 forces closing of Fredericton's only LGBTQ nightclub and Why the pandemic might change queer spaces and ‘Devastating’ loss for Toronto’s LGBTQ community as Church St.’s Club 120 closes for good and LGBTQ businesses, hit hard by COVID-19, look for shifts in federal programs14 Stay Off the Grass: COVID-19 and Law Enforcement in Canada, Canadian Civil Liberties Association & Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project, June 202015 LGBTQ+ refugees face unique roadblocks from COVID-19 restrictions16 How is coronavirus impacting Canadian LGBTQ+ workers?