Although the boom in inflation has made the insecurity of housing and food for many Scottish Nova, a recent study shows that people 2SLGBTQ+ face higher rates of food insecurity and greater barriers that access support services.
The study by a research team from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax surveyed 11 people in 2024 who self -identified as 2SLGBTQ+. Of these, 10 were identified as food insecure moderately to severely in the last 12 months, all with a reduced quantity and quality of food, often jumping meals due to the inability to buy food.
Principal researcher Phillip Joy said the team discovered that study participants doubted food programs because they distrusted religious institutions, concerned about data collection practices or a lack of perceived understanding between staff and volunteers With respect to 2SLGBTQ+problems.
“There are very few resources in Nueva Scotia, particularly for LGBT people, related to food insecurity,” he said.
The study found that several participants described their gender or sexuality presentation while accessing support services to avoid the possible discrimination of workers or volunteers from the Food Bank.
Yvren Mestres-Wyenberg, a Halifax resident who identifies himself as a transgender person, said those findings touched a chord.
They said that they also tend to avoid food banks found in religious institutions for fear that they will not be welcome.
“I simply do not feel comfortable or sure going there. As much as they know that there will be friendly people within those institutions, as there are everywhere, I am not willing to risk the amount of hostility that they could face,” they said.
The 20 -year -old said they have also experienced feeling “uncomfortable” in food programs because “they stand out” as visibly strangers.
Mount Saint Vincent teacher, Megan White, research assistant in the study, said that a series of risk factors that are exclusive to the 2SLGBTQ+ community are combined to increase the probability of experiencing things such as food insecurity.
“There are often concerns about people who have been expelled from their homes and discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, bifobia, which happened in workplaces,” White said.
Mestres-Wyenberg agreed, saying that they had never been formally employed as an openly trans person.
“The only time they have hired me for any formal job before leaving, and since I refuse to return to the closet, that makes food access difficult since it costs money,” they said.
“In addition, being that I am separated from my family, I cannot appear at the door of my parents and say: ‘Hey, I’m hungry, do you have food?'”
Data collection An additional concern
White said that some participants remembered that they were asked to share information in food support services for data collection purposes, but it was not properly explained how their data could be used.
She said she raised concerns that sharing their legal names, gender or sex could be a way of being “expelled.”
“Some of our participants mentioned us feeling really uncomfortable because they were not sure of the purpose of collecting this data,” White said. “And there was some suspicion that it was only for personal interest of the volunteer.
“As, ‘you just want the gossip’.”
Policy changes under discussion
Sue Kelleher, director of Innovation and Learning at Feed Nova Scotia, said that the beneficial organization registered is now working with a group of community members to improve accessibility and inclusion of their services.
“The group met between four and six times between October and December. And in parallel to that we also had service providers who work in the community and also some people who are service providers also have queer/trans identities that work in parallel” Said Kelleher, copropipal researcher in the study.
She said they are collaborating to launch and try an access program to food centered on the weird in Halifax this summer, guided by the study findings.
Mestres-Wyenberg said they expect changes to help people fighting to access the services they need.
“I’m not looking for this for any other reason than anyone else. I’m looking for food because I’m hungry,” they said.
