Sexual Orientation Discrimination in Canada
Term Definitions
- Homophobia - Aversion to, or discrimination against, homosexuality or homosexuals
- LGBT - Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
- Sexual minority - A group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. The term is primarily used to refer to LGBT individuals.
- Sexual orientation - A person's sexual preference or identity as bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual
Introduction
What is sexual orientation discrimination?
Sexual orientation is a person’s sexual preference as bisexual, heterosexual, or homosexual. This is not to be confused with gender identity, which is how one chooses to identify themselves, either as man or woman. Discrimination occurs when someone’s perception of another’s orientation affects how they negatively treat that individual, and this may not necessarily be intentional. On top of intentionality, stereotypes also influence a person to discriminate against another person of a different sexual orientation. These stereotypes are important to note because they may or may be correct, but they are common and are the reasons for the prevailing discrimination.
What are some types of discrimination?
There are different types of discrimination and it can be broken down to 4 main types.
Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when you treats someone else much worse than another because they’re sexual orientation is different than your own. Like the name suggests, this discrimination is directly implemented onto an individual. For example, if you are hiring for a new position, and during the interview process, you learn that she is bisexual, and despite her outstanding qualifications, you refuse to hire her. This type of discrimination is aimed directly at an individual.
Indirect discrimination
This type of discrimination occurs when a policy or law is introduced and it holds for everyone except for particular groups that places their sexual orientation at a disadvantage. Indirect discrimination is different than direct discrimination because it has influence over an entire group of a certain sexual orientation, instead of a particular individual. This happens because organizations o governments objectively justifies this policy or law in an attempt to defend it, even though it is purely unlawful discrimination.
Harassment
Harassment happens when someone is made to feel humiliated, offended, or degraded, and in terms of sexual harassment, it is due to their sexual orientation. Sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination, as individuals are treated differently solely on because of their sexual orientation. There are many different forms of sexual harassment, which ranges from sexual jokes, comments about certain mannerisms, and pressures for dates to requests for sexual favors, hostile comments, and sexual assault.
Victimization
Victimization is when someone is treated badly for trying to stand up for their own sexual orientation or for supporting someone who tried to stand up for their sexual orientation. Victimization shows that discrimination and hostility does not only occur to individuals who have a different preference for their sexual orientation, but it also has an impact on those around them.
Why it matters
The LGBTQ community are targets of some large amounts of discrimination and hostile attitudes. Despite the increase of movements and campaigns to promote and increase the voices of this community, many people in society remain steadfast in their views and expressions of negativity remain common and unchanged. A survey shows that verbal harassment and abuse are experienced almost universally by all LGBTQ individuals. Sexual orientation discrimination occurs most commonly in a person’s workplace, but it is not limited to just that aspect of his or her life; sexual orientation discrimination has severe negative impact on all aspects of a person’s life, whether it is putting them at a disadvantage in life or targeting their mental health. Discrimination is noticeable in an individual’s career, education, and health.
Education
Social pressures and conformity are pronounced school experiences of a student. While it may be difficult to navigate the halls of high school when a youth is figuring out the rest of their future, it may be even more difficult when they are trying to figure out themselves. The lack of support from family, friends, and school can be highly discouraging. On top of that, students who openly identify as LGBTQ are more susceptible to being targets of abuse and bullying. Abuse at such a young age can have detrimental psychological effects that they must carry with them for the rest of their lives. Some may never overcome this traumatic experience, and fall victim to depression and, sometimes, suicide. The early teenage years of a child is critical for their self-development, and without a supportive and positive environment, it can be demanding on a person’s mental health.
Career
When deciding the choice of paths to take for a career choice, many LGBTQ find themselves weighing in factors that their heterosexual counterparts would never have to consider. For example, an individual may find themselves considering a career choice that they deem as having a safer work environment than considering a choice based solely on interest, all because of their difference in sexual orientation. Dissatisfaction with one’s choice of career or with the slower-than-anticipated career progress that happen specifically because of one’s sexual orientation is a prominent example of sexual orientation discrimination. However, this discrimination may not necessarily come from coworkers, but because of societal pressures, an individual’s internalized homophobia they hold against themselves has a strong effect on one’s own self-efficacy and goal formations.
Health
A person’s health is largely influenced by social and personal impacts of their sexual orientation. Positive social connections are important for an individual’s health. If someone is constantly subjected to negative and harmful social interactions, it places a toll on their emotional health. Disrespectful comments, based on everyday stereotypes, though not supported by evidence, is commonly faced by an individual with a different sexual orientation. For example, AIDS was thought to be transmitted through sexual interactions between two men, however, despite having proven that AIDS does get transmitted through heterosexual individuals, this stereotype still gets imposed onto homosexual men in the form of hostile comments. These social contacts, whether positive or negative, influences one’s personal thoughts of themselves. For example, influenced by the fear of rejection, a person may attempt to hide or deny one’s own orientation. Even if a LGBTQ individual has learned to cope with negative social interactions, this can also be harmful for their mental health. The constant exposure to such negativity combined with the denial of one’s orientation forces these individuals to experience high levels of stress, and this raises severe concerns for their mental health.
What is being done
Government
In 1977, Quebec became the first jurisdiction in Canada to amend its provincial charter of human rights to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination. Canada has also since implemented several charters and acts to provide legal protection for its LGBTQ community. For example, in 1996, the Canadian Human Rights Act was revised to include one’s sexual orientation as one of the grounds of prohibited grounds of discrimination. Another example includes the Civil Marriage Act of 2005 that legalized marriage rights for same-sex couples anywhere in Canada.
Schools and Institutions
Curriculum in public schools now being amended to include LBGTQ topics. In BC’s own top university, UBC Bachelor of Education teacher candidates are now given LGBTQ-inclusive education and approaches to handling sexual and gender diversity. For example, SOGI, also known as Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, is a resource that provides useful tools to help educate students on people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, while emphasizing a safe and inclusive environment. Another resource is TEO, which stands for Teacher Education for All!, and is a project that also emphasizes creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for everyone.
References
Carpenter, C. S. (2008). Sexual orientation, work, and income in Canada. Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, 41(4), 1239-1261.
Russell, S. T., Day, J. K., Ioverno, S., & Toomey, R. B. (2016). Are School Policies Focused on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Associated with Less Bullying? Teachers’ Perspectives. Journal of School Psychology, 54, 29–38. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2015.10.005
Saewyc, E. M., Konishi, C., Rose, H. A., & Homma, Y. (2014). School-based strategies to reduce suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and discrimination among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in Western Canada. International journal of child, youth & family studies: IJCYFS, 5(1), 89.
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/rights-lgbti-persons.html