Homelessness services in Montreal are not well suited to the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ adults in Montreal, a study by McGill researchers has found.
"Homelessness services are very binary, and often those who are non-binary are completely excluded," said Jayne Malenfant, Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education.
"There are currently insufficient services in the homelessness or housing sector for diverse 2SLGTBTQ+ people. For Two-Spirit or other Indigenous queer people, these services are non-existent," said Malenfant, who co-led the study with Hannah Brais, research co-ordinator at the Old Brewery Mission and recent PhD graduate from the McGill Department of Geography.
The researchers conducted extensive focus groups with staff members of the Old Brewery Mission, one of Montreal's major homelessness service providers. The participants, some of whom identify as 2SLGTBQ+, described such issues as some staff members being unfamiliar with the needs and realities of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, instances of homophobia and transphobia in the shelters and uncertainty about the best way to ensure the safety of trans and non-binary individuals when services are built around the traditional male-female binary.
"Participants shared that more sustained training for all workers in the sector would really help, and they articulated that hiring more 2SLGTBQ+ staff at all levels of organizations would be a move in the right direction," said Malenfant.
The professor also noted that, even though 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are more likely than others to become homeless, there is little to no dialogue between 2SLGBTQ+ organizations in Quebec and homelessness services.
The study is part of an ongoing research project on homeless 2SLGBTQ+ adults, who have been the subject of less research than have homeless 2SLGBTQ+ youth and face different challenges, Malenfant said. The next phase of the study will focus on the perspectives of 2SLGBTQ+ people who have been homeless or are currently using housing services.
About the study
"Queering Shelter: Homelessness Service Provider Perspectives on Programming for 2SLGBTQ+ Adults in Montreal, Canada" by Hannah Brais and Jayne Malenfant was published in the Journal of Homosexuality.
