LGBT people get zero support in Nunavut

LGBT — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender —  issues, despite what some comments on NunatsiaqOnline say, are issues that Nunavut should be looking into.

There is zero support for any member of the LGBT community in Nunavut, or at least none that I’ve seen, other than old articles and a website link that does not work.

One big concern for me is that LGBT teens in high school do not have support. There is zero education of ignorance unless you put yourself in the line of fire, and let me tell you, ignorance is homophobia, ignorance is transphobia. 

Your going to tell me now that “There are more important issues”, such as losing our language and culture, mental health, drug abuse, and the high cost of living in the north.

To me, those are important issues, extremely important issues. As a person who has lost my culture, lost my language, has dealt with and still fights with depression, the fact that many of my peers do use drugs, and that my family does struggle with money, I know that these are important, but I also know that there are the unsung problems of being LGBT in Nunavut. 

In Nunavut we are far behind on many things that should be a given, such as easy access to mental health or rehab, but that does not mean that we should ignore LGBT issues simply because not everyone is LGBT. Not everyone has mental health issues and it is still considered an “important” issue.  

LGBT issues in Nunavut are the following:

• Ignorance in use of words, such as the extremely popular “That’s so gay” or “That’s Gay!” as I hear it;

• Ignorance in what it means to be LGBT. (By the way you can let us around your children, we won’t “infect” or use our “secret agenda” to make them gay.)

• Ignorance about the fact that there are LGBT people in Nunavut, the fact that there is a need for support.

• And most important? The knowledge that there are people who can accept you for you. 

If you are going to say that we should just “move away,” then let me say, if you are sick of the high cost of living, as an example, why don’t you move away?

Your response is probably going to be along the lines of “we have a right to live here and to have a more affordable cost of living,” then let me just end this by saying that we LGBT people have the right to live here and the right to be respected, accepted, and supported, too.

Would it be possible if it was used that my name not be used? I am not ready to come out to all who read the newspaper, especially people who would be ignorant or know me personally.

(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit

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