LGBT EQUALITY

CRARR is proud to be the only non-profit group in Quebec that provides assistance and representation to victims of sexual orientation discrimination, as part of its services for victims of discrimination.
As the concept of equality as guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (s. 15) and in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (s. 10) has evolved over the last two decades, our work in protecting and promoting racial equality has also adapted to new legal, social and cultural realities.
To address effectively the multiple and intersectional faces of discrimination, we must now address the ways in which different inequalities are interconnected, the interdependence of fundamental human rights and the importance of solidarity among equality-seeking groups. It is for this reason that while most of our cases deal with racial discrimination, 20% of our caseload involves grounds other than race and ethnicity.
Through our mandate to combat hate crimes and instances of discrimination, we tackle antigay bias by taking into account data showing that gay men, Blacks, Jews and Muslims constitute the groups most affected by hate-motivated crimes and messages. CRARR also acknowledges that the promoters of homophobic hate often advocate racism and anti-Semitism. Thus, an intersectional and intergroup approach to combating hate crimes is necessary for effective community responses and better access to the justice system. This is particularly important in jurisdictions lacking adequate institutional capacity to address hate crimes, which results in these crimes being under-prosecuted and victims' rights being inadequately protected.
Consequently, the prevention of homophobia, and civil rights protection for lesbians, gay men, transgendered and transsexual people (LGBT), is now one of our main priorities. While Canada and Quebec have been global leaders in outlawing homophobic discrimination, anti-gay and gender-identity bias persist in different forms (including in our justice system). Moreover, gay men and lesbians (or those perceived to be gay or lesbian) are still subject to bullying in school, harassment at work and at home, as well as insults on the airwaves.
We are committed to ensuring the full and equal protection of and equal benefit for individuals with different sexual orientations and gender identity, for diversity is not only a fundamental national value; it is also a constitutional principle yearning to become a daily practice.
Our record on gay rights includes:
For more information on our work for LGBT Equality: