The Canadian government has funded a research questionnaire from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax about sexual minority poverty in Canada that asks Albertans if they do not view Alberta as a province. 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing included a question for people about if they lived in Alberta. The options SMU gave people were yes, no, and "do not recognize the Province of Alberta, but live in a region within its geographic boundaries."“We want to hear from you if you identify as [sexual minority], are 16 years of age or older, and live in Canada,” said SMU in a questionnaire. “We are looking for diverse [sexual minority] community members, including intersex and asexual members, to complete a national survey.” While SMU is facilitating the questionnaires, it is receiving assistance from York University, 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. As part of the phased approach in recruiting people, SMU said it was only looking for Albertans. It said it would be collecting questionnaires from people in other provinces and territories throughout the summer. To receive a personalized survey link, it said people should answer the short eligibility questionnaire and provide their email address on the following page. The other question it asked on the same page as the Alberta question was if people were 16 years old or older.“The survey link will be sent to your email address within the next few days,” it said. 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada said it was doing this survey because poverty is a serious issue in Canada. “The country’s [sexual minority] population is vulnerable to its effects,” said 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada. “The 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing project studies poverty in Canadian [sexual minority] communities and will create an action plan directed at policymakers, governmental agencies, non-profits, and private organizations.”To ensure its success, it said it values lived experiences, decolonizing and intersectional approaches, and diverse sexual minority communities. This project is the first national study on sexual minority poverty in Canada, and its goal is to produce high-impact, evidence-based, policy-relevant knowledge to address it and encourage and amplify resiliency in these communities. SMU Associate Vice President, External Affairs Margaret Murphy said it was fine with community members completing research projects, applying for funding, and doing their work.“The university supports the ability of our researchers, faculty and students to design research projects, apply for funding and carry out their work,” said Murphy.Half of Canadians support sexual minorities being open about their sexual orientations and gender identities, according to a June poll conducted by Ipsos. .Poll finds declining support for sexual minority rights in Canada .While many Canadians were supportive, Ipsos said 15% of them opposed sexual minorities being open about their identities. Ipsos said support for sexual minorities being open with their identities has declined by 12% in Canada since 2021. Two-fifths of Canadians supported sexual minorities displaying affection in public, and 19% were opposed to it. Support for sexual minorities showing affection in public declined by 8% since 2021.
