Poll Reveals Decreasing Support for LGBTQ2 Rights and Visibility in Canada
On the brink of Pride month, a recent poll has uncovered diminishing support for LGBTQ2 rights in Canada. The Ipsos survey, which encompassed adults in 26 countries, assessed various metrics gauging support for the queer community. Interestingly, Canada exhibited one of the most pronounced declines in support for rights and visibility, as stated by Ipsos vice-president of public affairs Sanyam Sethi.
“What really stood out to me was how starkly Canadians are changing their opinions,” she expressed. “On some of these support aspects, the drops in Canada are the highest across all 26 countries we have trend data for.”
One notable area where attitudes seemed to have shifted was in support for LGBTQ2 visibility. Despite 49% of respondents agreeing with individuals being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity, Canada still ranked among the bottom 10 of measured countries. Moreover, this number experienced a 12% decrease from the previous year. Similarly, the poll indicated a decline in support for LGBTQ2 individuals displaying affection in public, such as kissing or holding hands, dropping by eight points from 2021. Only one-third of participants supported an increase in LGBTQ2 characters on screen, down by 10% from the previous year.
Annie Ohana, a British Columbia teacher and board member of Surrey Pride, expressed concern over the statistics. “You can exist, but don’t exist in front of me,” she remarked. Ohana attributed the data to an aggressive campaign targeting the LGBTQ2 community, which has led to protests against initiatives like SOGI-123 in schools, drag events, and support for transgender individuals.
The survey also highlighted a few other alarming findings concerning the LGBTQ2 community. Just half of Canadian respondents supported openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual athletes on sports teams, marking an 11-point decline from 2021. Merely one in five participants voiced support for transgender athletes. Additionally, fewer Canadians are speaking out against prejudice, with less than one-third of respondents having taken a stand against LGBTQ2 intolerance – a figure consistent with the international average but down by seven points since 2021.
Despite these concerning trends, the report did offer some positive news for LGBTQ2 rights in Canada. Seventy-five percent of Canadian respondents endorsed same-sex unions, surpassing the global average by four points. Furthermore, 70% supported the rights of same-sex couples to adopt, which was seven points higher than the global average.
The Ipsos poll was conducted between Feb. 23 and March 8, 2024, among 18,515 adults in 26 countries. Each country’s sample consisted of between 500 and 1,000 respondents, with the Canadian data weighted to reflect the demographic profile based on census information. The margin of error for the Canadian sample was +/- 3.5%.