Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for the opportunity to present via video conference this afternoon.
I'm Helen Kennedy, the executive director of Egale Canada, Canada's national LGBTQI2S human rights organization. I'm going to focus my remarks this afternoon on Egale's recently released document, which I believe you all received earlier this morning. It's Egale's national LGBTQI2S action plan. There are a number of points raised in the action plan, but I'm going to refer to four recommendations for the committee here this afternoon.
Recommendation one is that the government review the recommended policy reforms in Egale's national LGBTQI2S action plan and take immediate action to amend their outdated and discriminatory policies to advance Canada's economic development.
Recommendation two is that the government mandate inclusive policies and training across each of the 12 sectors in our national LGBTQI2S action plan.
Recommendation three is that the government update its outdated data collection terminology to be more inclusive for research across the 12 priority areas in the national action plan, and engage community organizations in the research implementation, collection and reporting process.
Recommendation four is that the federal government establish an LGBTQI2S action plan implementation fund of $12 million over two years to be allocated to civil society organizations to continue this important work.
Recently Egale launched this national LGBTQI2S action plan, which addresses 12 priority areas that impact our community across Canada. Along with each priority area, there are tangible action items for the government to prioritize over the next two to four years. The recommendations contained in our plan are a result of extensive literature reviews, assessments of current policies and legislation, and community consultations. The 12 key priority areas are health care, mental health, poverty reduction, housing and homelessness, employment access, education, sport inclusion, our seniors, justice reform, intersex rights, asylum system reform and international assistance.
Egale firmly recommends that Canada invest and prioritize strategies, programs and polices that ensure inclusion and human rights for sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression minorities in this budget. The following brief focuses on these key investments. In moving forward with our action plan recommendations, not only will the government be acknowledging the work that civil society organizations are currently undertaking but it will also be maintaining its position as a global leader and partner in advancing LGBTQI2S human rights.
Within the plan there are core areas where the government can begin to advance specific and measurable actions to drive inclusion and support civil society in advancing LGBTQI2S inclusion in Canada. LGBTQI2S communities experience the largest gaps in housing access and income security. Twenty to 45 per cent of Canada's homeless youth population identify as members of the LGBTQI2S community. LGBTQI2S Canadians experience stigma and discrimination within the health care system, and 27 per cent of transgender patients have been refused care. LGBTQI2S people continue to experience discrimination in the workplace or the workforce, and 49 per cent of our trans Canadians earn less than $15,000 a year, and that is if they're fortunate enough to actually have employment.
There are a number of policies and legislative reforms across the 12 sectors, on which the federal government can take immediate action to advance social inclusion. Priorities should be given to intersex human rights, federal regulations on conversion therapy, and regulations around blood donation for men who have sex with men and for trans people.
Gender-based and LGBTQI2S discrimination in social institutions matters for economic growth. Previous empirical studies have demonstrated that gender inequality in outcomes is bad for growth, especially when it comes to gender disparities in education and labour. A number of policies and regulations are driving these results. The most pertinent are discriminatory laws, policies and biases that perpetuate stereotypes and mindsets and undermine LGBTQI2S inclusion efforts. By shaping and influencing norms of acceptable behaviour and power relations between the sexes, discriminatory social institutions are additional key issues for economic growth. By dismantling the discriminatory policies laid out in our action plan, the government will be advancing inclusion on a foundational level across our society and culture, resulting in higher economic returns.
Establishing more inclusive policies and mandating inclusion training across the 12 sectors in our plan will help to both increase LGBTQI2S inclusion in the workforce and remove some of the barriers to access that LGBTQI2S people face when seeking out support services, whether it be physical health, mental health or employment. The World Bank released a case study in 2012 on LGBTQ discrimination. It showed that the cost of discrimination across health and labour alone is as high as 1.7% of the annual GDP. LGBTQI2S people in Canada are vital contributors to our economic growth. The LGBTQI2S market in Canada is between $90 billion to $100 billion, or about 7.2% of Canada’s GDP. Workplaces that are supportive of LGBTQI2S employees witness a 22% increase in team productivity and represent a 17% increase in LGBTQI2S employee retention. By supporting healthy and safe workplaces for members of the LGBTQI2S community, Canada’s economy has an opportunity to increase twofold, as LGBTQI2S people also become more adequately supported out of poverty.
This same example applies when looking at access to health care—a major contributor to potential labour loss and added health costs down the road. The estimated economic burdens of mental illness and substance use across Canada annually are $51 billion and $38.4 billion respectively. Overall, health disparities for LGB people in Canada, not including trans, are calculated at an annual loss of $500 million to $2.3 billion. When considering costs related to health care, criminal justice and lost productivity, the cost of excluding LGBTQI2S people becomes insurmountable. The government can take immediate action on developing inclusive policies to help offset this cost burden through implementing the recommendations laid out in Egale’s national LGBTQI2S action plan.