Immigration and Settlement

Few participants had experienced challenges with immigration and settlement. Only three participants out of 25 (12 percent) from Central Canada, and none from Eastern Canada, mentioned immigration challenges. None of the participants were themselves immigrants; they were not denied the opportunity to immigrate, nor did they experience any difficulty in immigrating because of their sexual orientation. Instead, participants referred to the experiences of others in their lives.

One participant’s relationship ended because their partner was deported. A second participant’s relationship also ended because of immigration challenges. These participants commented on the difficulty of navigating the system. Another Central Canada participant commented on the danger their friend faced back in their home country, which resulted in their decision to immigrate to Canada:

I had all these letters of support from friends that he was in dire straits. He can’t stay in [country]. He can’t even go home. He can’t tell his parents he’s married to [partner’s name]. It’s dangerous. And I plead with him, don’t go back home. So when he went back home and I didn’t hear from him for a few days I was like terrified. Because it’s serious over there (CC#14).

Ultimately, that participant felt that legal support for 2SLGBTQI+ immigration issues was not at all helpful, noting that they had considerable difficulty finding a lawyer who would or could provide assistance.