Renewing Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan in 2027 is an opportunity to turn those values into meaningful action. Building Canada Strong must mean building a country where every Canadian can thrive.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has made “Building Canada Strong” the defining ambition of his government. At a time of global economic uncertainty, shifting trade relationships and mounting threats to our sovereignty, that ambition is both timely and necessary.
But building a stronger Canada demands more than new trade corridors, major infrastructure projects and increased defence spending. It requires investing in the people who power our economy and strengthen our communities. And it means ensuring every Canadian has the opportunity to live safely, contribute meaningfully and reach their full potential.
A country cannot be truly strong when some of its citizens are being pushed to the margins.
As the Carney government considers whether it will renew Canada’s first-ever federal 2SLGBTQI Action Plan in the lead-up to tabling a federal budget on November 5, it faces an important test of that principle.
Across Canada, anti-2SLGBTQI hate has surged in the nearly half decade since the first Action Plan was introduced by the former government. Police-reported hate crimes targeting diverse gender identities have increased by 133 per cent, while Statistics Canada findings show that 2SLGBTQI people are three times more likely to experience unwanted behaviour online and offline.
Behind these troubling statistics are real people whose safety, livelihoods and futures are increasingly at risk. Young people facing harassment in schools. Adults confronting discrimination in workplaces and public spaces. Seniors experiencing isolation and fearing mistreatment in the very facilities entrusted with their care.
These are not isolated challenges. They represent a growing threat to the social fabric of our country and ultimately to our collective prosperity.
Consider the young queer Canadian who faces rejection at home and struggles to find stable housing. Without a safe place to live, access to education and mental health supports, opportunities for employment become considerably more difficult. For 2SLGBTQI youth who are disproportionately represented among Canadians experiencing homelessness, these barriers can have lifelong consequences.
Or consider the middle-aged transgender Canadian navigating discrimination in the workplace while struggling to access appropriate healthcare. When prejudice limits someone’s ability to secure employment, advance professionally or participate fully in society, the consequences extend beyond that individual. Our economy loses valuable talent, productivity and potential.
Then there are older 2SLGBTQI Canadians, many of whom spent decades fighting for the rights and freedoms younger generations now enjoy. Too many face the prospect of entering long-term care facilities where they fear discrimination, social isolation or being forced back into the closet simply to feel safe.
No Canadian should have to surrender their dignity to receive care, secure housing or earn a living. These experiences illustrate a fundamental truth: economic security and personal security are inseparable.
A strong economy depends on people who can access affordable housing, quality education, healthcare and supportive communities. It depends on workplaces where talent matters more than identity, and on public institutions that protect Canadians from discrimination and violence.
When people feel safe, they are better positioned to learn, work, innovate, build businesses and contribute to their communities. When they face exclusion, the costs are borne not only by individuals and families, but by our economy and public systems.
That is why renewing and strengthening Canada’s federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan must be understood as an investment in Canada’s economic resilience and social stability, not simply as another social policy initiative.
The Action Plan provides a foundation for coordinated federal leadership, community investment and action against discrimination. Its renewal should build on that foundation with sustained funding for frontline organizations, stronger protections against hate and meaningful commitments across housing, education, healthcare, employment and seniors’ services.
This work cannot be confined to a single federal department. It demands the same whole-of-government determination that Ottawa is bringing to trade diversification, economic competitiveness and national security. At a time when community organizations are confronting rising demand and increasingly stretched resources, retreating from these commitments would be both shortsighted and costly.
Prime Minister Carney has challenged Canadians to think bigger about our country’s future. That challenge should extend beyond what we build to who we are building it for.
Canada’s strength has never rested solely on the size of its economy or the reach of its trade relationships. It also rests on our commitment to fairness, opportunity and the conviction that every person deserves a chance to succeed.
Renewing Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan in 2027 is an opportunity to turn those values into meaningful action. Building Canada Strong must mean building a country where every Canadian can thrive.
Andrew Perez is the executive director of Egale Canada, the country’s leading organization for 2SLGBTQI people and issues.
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