Being LGBTQ in America vs. Canada. Why Is It Safer in One Country?
Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter
As a Canadian transplant who has been living in the U.S. for 11 years, this week marks two national holidays: Canada Day, which took place on July 1, and Independence Day, which many Americans will celebrate on July 4.
People often ask me why I’m so proud to be a Canuck.
There are many obvious reasons, including universal health care (yes, it’s actually free); an immigration system so ingrained in our national identity that we strive to be a multicultural mosaic rather than a melting pot; and a global reputation for being nice, well-educated and funny.
But as a gay Canadian, I have become increasingly proud of my home and native land since launching an LGBTQ news publication focused in the U.S.
North of the border, we don’t just talk the talk when it comes to equality. We frankly dominate the U.S. in terms of LGBTQ progress. Here are a few stats that prove it:
Gay sex: We legalized it in 1969, 34 years before the U.S. followed suit in 2003.
Gay marriage: We legalized it in 2005, 10 years before the U.S. did so. And unlike in America, there is no meaningful push to overturn it.
While conversion therapy practiced by licensed therapists is banned for minors in some U.S. states, Canada has banned it nationwide for minors and adults alike (and, drumroll… this ban also applies to religious leaders, unlike in the U.S.).
We recognize gender identity as grounds for asylum status and legally recognize nonbinary gender markers. The U.S. does not.
I could go on. But you get the gist. At a time when the president of the U.S. is making claims that he’d like to annex Canada and turn my country into America’s 51st state, there’s been a groundswell of outrage.
And that’s not surprising. Life north of the border is, in so many ways, safer for minority groups and underdogs of all walks of life. It’s certainly the case for LGBTQ people.
Happy Canada Day!
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Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints and story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief — spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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Then why did you move to America?