Poll finds declining Canadian support for LGBTQ2 rights and visibility

globalnews.ca:

LGBTQ2 rights in Canada.The Ipsos survey polled adults in 26 countries on a variety of metrics measuring support for the queer community.Canada, it found, was among the few countries where support for rights and visibility appeared to register “precipitous drops,” Ipsos vice-president of public affairs Sanyam Sethi said.“What really stood out to me was how starkly Canadians are changing their opinions,” she said.“On some of these support aspects the drops in Canada are the highest across all 26 countries we have trend data for.”One area where attitudes appeared to have shifted was support for LGBTQ2 visibility.While 49 per cent of respondents agreed with people being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity, that still put Canada in the bottom 10 of countries measured.What’s more, the number was down by 12 per cent from 2021.Similarly, the poll found support for LGBTQ2 people showing affection in public (kissing or holding hands) at 40 per cent, down eight points from 2021.Just one-third of respondents supported more LGBTQ2 characters on screen, down 10 per cent from 2021.Annie Ohana, a B.C. teacher who also serves on the board of Surrey Pride said the numbers were troubling.“You can exist, but don’t exist in front of me,” she said.Ohana said she believed the data reflected an aggressive campaign targeting the LGBTQ2 community that has manifested in protests against SOGI-123 in schools, drag events and supports for transgender people.“You see the language of ‘groomer’ and ‘pedophile’ out there, being put on everybody,” Ohana said.