City Launches Safe Spaces Plan for 2SLGBTQIA+ Community

Edmonton's city council voted unanimously Wednesday to launch its 2SLGBTQIA+ Safe Spaces Action Plan, a comprehensive effort to make the city's facilities and operations more sensitive to the needs of the community.

The council had previously committed $750,000 for the initiative last fall, distributed to support groups through grants. Another $750,000 annually will be discussed during the city's four-year budget deliberations.

"This couldn't come at a more critical time," Mayor Andrew Knack said. "There's a reality provincially that we can't ignore — we're being told what kind of flags we can hang in our buildings. You will still see the Pride flag hanging in the window because they can't tell me what I can hang in my office. Every Edmontonian has a place in our city."

The timing reflects growing challenges. A 2024 study in Nature found that U.S. jurisdictions which passed anti-transgender laws between 2018 and 2022 saw increases in suicide attempts of up to 72 per cent. In Alberta, a 2018 survey found gender-fluid youth experience greater sexual harassment, violence, and are more likely to attempt suicide.

More than 40,000 Edmontonians identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, and more than 2,000 identify as gender diverse. A 2021 survey of 107 community members in Edmonton found 81 per cent reported experiencing "negative public interactions" from the public at large. Hate crimes targeting sexual and gender expression have been trending upwards across the country, with 50 incidents in Edmonton in 2024.

Those experiencing homelessness also face disproportionate challenges. Just under 12 per cent of the 800 unhoused people in Edmonton who disclosed their orientation identified on the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum. Across Canada, that represents 13 per cent of people living on the streets and 25 per cent of youth forced out of their homes.