Item - 2022.QS6.5

The Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advisory Committee recommend that:

1.  City Council request the City Manager to investigate the feasibility of having a dedicated City of Toronto Unit responsible for 2SLGBTQ+ issues, and report their findings back to either the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advisory Committee or the Executive Committee, as appropriate, by the second quarter of 2023.

Currently, many of the equity-deserving groups included in the Equity Lens Toolkit that was presented to our Committee have a dedicated Unit or Office (e.g., Indigenous Affairs Office, Gender Equity Unit, Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit); however, this appears to be lacking with respect to 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Having dedicated staff support is necessary to:

a. enable follow through on the recommendations made by our Committee;

b. ensure that individual 2SLGBTQ+-identified City employees are not informally called upon to do the work of representing 2SLGBTQ+ communities;

c. allow for collaboration with other equity Units and Offices to allow for an intersectional approach to issues that impact diversely situated members of our communities; and

d. support sustainability of 2SLGBTQ+-related initiatives, for example, through changes in government.