How to be a better ally to LGBTQ+ communities during these holidays

MONTREAL -- As the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, the impacts of the virus are hitting members of marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ people, particularly hard.

In early December, Premier Francois Legault announced that gatherings over the holidays would not be permitted in red alert zones such as Montreal.

Many LGBTQ+ people, already feeling isolated from the lack of contact with community members, are struggling to find ways to maintain a sense of connection and solidarity over the coming weeks as the impacts of the virus continue to take hold in their communities.

Pre-existing social, economic and health disparities leave LGBTQ+ people especially vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic. Starting the holidays by reflecting on ways to act as an ally to LGBTQ+ communities is one way to ensure these communities will receive much-needed support during and beyond the pandemic.

Egale Canada found that LGBTQ+ households were more likely to have experienced a COVID-19 related job loss or work slow down as compared to their non-queer and cisgender counterparts. They also noted that the pandemic is taking a greater toll on LGBTQ+ people’s physical and mental well-being as compared to the overall population.

COVID-19 is particularly difficult for people with intersecting identities, who are facing multiple discriminations.

LGBTQ+ persons who are racialized or Indigenous remain at greater risk of contracting or dying from the virus because of systemic inequities. These include a greater likelihood of workers in front-line jobs where they come face-to-face with the public, as well as a greater chance of living in high density housing.

LGBTQ+ people with disabilities and elders also experience intersecting oppressions that place them at higher risk of contracting and dying from the virus, as well as losing their housing.

The holidays are already particularly stressful times for LGBTQ+ persons who have had a relationship breakdown with family members over their queer or trans identities. It is also especially hard for some LGBTQ+ youth who now, with the lockdown, find themselves back in their parents’ homes where they may not feel safe coming out to family members, and forced back in the closet again.

Given this situation, are there any strategies/ways to support LGBTQ+ people these holidays?

McGill University’s Queer History Month (QHM) took place this past October, offering an opportunity for LGBTQ+ people to come together, to connect, to discuss strategies and share resources.

Lessons learned from QHM events provide a useful starting point for LGBTQ+ people and their allies to reflect upon as they navigate the holiday season.

It is important to remember to centre the voices of the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ communities in our fight for justice and human rights. This means listening to and prioritizing the experiences of queer and trans BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of colour), LGBTQ+ people with disabilities, trans migrants, LGBTQ+ elders (by hiring them and/or inviting them as guest speakers to events).

In that sense, it is essential to remind ourselves of the role played by Black trans women, who have always been and still are at the forefront of advancing LGBTQ+ rights throughout history, and who now suffer disproportionately from discrimination, violence and murders due to transphobia and racism.

Acting in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people also means being willing to step up and provide financial support to LGBTQ+ individuals in the margins and organizations fighting homophobia and transphobia.

We particularly encourage people to support queer and trans community organizations who directly support LGBTQ+ individuals, such as Action Santé Travesti(e)s et Transsexuel(le)s du Québec (ASTT(e)Q), AGIR Montréal (Action LGBTQ avec les ImmigrantEs et RéfugiéEs) and Aide aux Trans du Québec (ATQ).

We also encourage people to think about the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people with disabilities and the issues around accessibility.

Many of us now have jobs we once thought could only be done in person, where we might have overlooked candidates with disabilities who perhaps required to work a certain amount of time remotely. Yet here we are, a lot of us working from home. After several months of working remotely, people are now familiar with Zoom/Teams meetings, attending online events with live captioning and ASL interpretation, more accommodations for people taking care of relatives etc.

This pandemic has proven we can adjust and do better in terms of accessibility, a fight that queer activists with disabilities have led for many decades.

An important focus of queer disability justice has always included the need to take care of and support one another. We hope that people will continue implementing good accessibility practices during and beyond this pandemic.

Some organizations, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, are reflecting on the possibility of having some employees working remotely permanently.

Despite all the barriers and struggles, the long history of LGBTQ+ communities’ ability to rise above adversity has proven evident again during this pandemic, where queer and trans people have shown that it is still possible to come together, to connect and to support one another even if now at a distance.

Continuing to support each other, especially the most marginalized members of LGBTQ+ communities, both materially and emotionally, would go a long way to addressing the hardships that have become so prevalent in the pandemic and are even more amplified during the holiday season.

The COVID-19 pandemic speaks to our individual and collective vulnerabilities but also offers us a unique opportunity to hit pause and reimagine and envision a more sustainable, equitable and caring future where all can thrive.

As Audre Lorde said, ‘Without Community, there is no liberation’. We hope each and every one of you can find community in this holiday season. 

Meryem Benslimane is An Equity and Diversity Advisor. She has an expertise in human rights, more specifically migrant and refugee rights, gender equality, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, equity and social justice.

Andrea Clegg is the Research Equity Advisor in the Office of the Provost and Vice Principal (Academic) at McGill University.