Action plan will be made to address needs, concerns of 2SLGBTQIA+ community: N.S. government
The Government of Nova Scotia is creating an action plan to address the needs and concerns of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
The Office of Equity and Anti-Racism has started public engagement on the development of the plan, part of the Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy released in July 2023.
“Hate and inequity have no place in our province. As leaders in addressing these issues, it is important that we start by asking how we can do a better job of serving all Nova Scotians,” said Barbara Adams, minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism.
“By listening and going directly to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we can make government policies and programs more inclusive and improve people’s lives.”
Community organizations will conduct engagement sessions with the people they serve, according to a news release from the province Friday.
The engagement will also include an online survey to collect ideas, demographic data and information about experiences with government programs and services, and the office will lead three virtual sessions open to the “broader rainbow community.”
“When 2SLGBTQIA+ refugees arrive in Canada, fleeing violence and persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics, they deserve to arrive in a province that respects, celebrates and protects them," said Rhiannon Makohoniuk, executive director of Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia.
"This 2SLGBTQIA+ action plan, as part of the Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy, demonstrates a needed commitment to ensuring the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Nova Scotia feels heard, represented and supported.”
The province says the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has experienced a concerning increase in acts of hate since 2019 and has identified other issues, including service gaps and barriers to accessing health, employment and justice services and opportunities, to be addressed.
The community engagement is expected to continue until August.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
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