Chapter 2: How discrimination and oppression can impact grief
Introduction
My grief – our grief – comes out of pain that I share with every 2SLGBTQ+ person, but grief is also how we heal, individually and together.
Grief is most often associated with a death. However, it can also be the result of a culture or a group being harmed through discrimination or oppression. When these two kinds of grief come together, it can feel deeply painful or overwhelming.Although Canadian attitudes and beliefs about 2SLGBTQ+ communities have become more positive in recent years, the lives of 2SLGBTQ+ people continue to be deeply affected to varying degrees by both historical and current oppression and discrimination. You may or may not recognize the ways discrimination and oppression affect you. Click the arrows for examples.
Your employer makes “jokes” about your appearance or gender identity.
You, your partner, or someone who has died is misgendered.
A service provider visits your home and refers to you as a “friend,” even when they know you are a spouse/partner/lover.
You are placed lower on a priority list, must wait longer, or have your concerns taken less seriously.
You find it stressful to disclose you are 2SLGBTQ+.
