By: Lou Lamari, Articling Student, Robson Hall

As written for Manitoba’s Access to Justice Hub

On October 24-25, 2024, the University of Manitoba’s Queer and Trans Graduate Student Group and the Centre for Human Rights Research hosted the “Pride in Health” conference. The event brought together academics, healthcare providers and community members to examine barriers and disparities faced by 2SLGBTQ+ individuals within healthcare. Presentations highlighted issues in healthcare access, mental health, and inclusivity, stressing the need for both policy reform and community-driven support.

One presentation focused on the documented barriers that lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women, as well as trans and nonbinary individuals experience in Canadian healthcare. These barriers— which include dismissal, invalidation, and discrimination—significantly affect patients’ access and experiences within the system. The presentation emphasized amplifying these communities’ voices to drive systemic change, highlighting five main areas: the labor involved in accessing healthcare, barriers in primary care, sexual and reproductive health, gender-affirming and transition-related services, and mental health care. Their findings call for an inclusive healthcare system that values and centers the experiences of people belonging to this group. More information is available here.

Mental health challenges facing the 2SLGBTQ+ community was a major theme. Mental health needs are often compounded by inadequate support from healthcare providers, underscoring the need for more culturally competent practitioners. Presenters also elaborated on the intersectional nature of this experience, which is impacted by factors such as race, gender, socioeconomics, ability, Indigeneity, culture, and family of origin as examples.

To read Lou’s full blog post, visit Manitoba’s Access to Justice Hub.