YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH

A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR LGBTQ2+ COMMUNITY

Welcome to our safe space for our LGBTQ2+ community. A space to read, learn and educate yourself on LGBTQ2+ inequality. Here we want to encourage allyship in ways to take action – scroll down to take the first step.

Welcome to our safe space for our LGBT+ community. A space to read, learn and educate yourself on the big issues of LGBT+ inequality. Here we want to encourage allyship and make sure our LGBT+ friends feel supported.

Gay, bisexual, two-spirit, queer men and trans women face an arbitrary, discriminatory 3-month period of abstinence before they can donate blood in Canada.

Join us and the All Blood is Equal coalition to end blood donation discrimination by signing the petition. For every petition signed, The Body Shop will donate $1 to All Blood is Equal*.

*From May 31, 2021 to August 29, 2021, The Body Shop will donate $1 of each signature collected to All Blood is Equal, up to a maximum donation of $10,000.

BREAKING THE SILENCE AROUND LGBTQ2+ EQUALITY

We live in a world that for the most part doesn’t acknowledge the day to day lives and struggles of LGBTQ2+ people.

THE REALITY

Over 90% of men who have sex with men will donate blood if policies change in Canada. Canada faces a chronic shortage of blood donations, which has worsened in the COVID-19 pandemic.1Around 40% of LGBTQ2+ people will have mental health experiences compared to 25% of the general population.1

The Body Shop’s Global Self Love Index recorded that transgender people tend to have lower levels of self-love than cisgender people.2

This can come from a range of factors such as discrimination, isolation, rejection and homophobia. We want to change this. We want to help provide the tools and support to become better active allies to the LGBTQ2+ community.

SOCIETY TELLS YOU THAT YOU DON’T FIT IN. WE’RE TELLING YOU THAT YOU DO. SOCIETY NEEDS TO CHANGE. NOT YOU.

All Blood Is Equal is a national coalition of Canadian organizations committed to ending Canada's discriminatory blood donation ban.

RISE UP WITH SELF LOVE

It can be hard to love yourself in a world that doesn’t seem to love you back. But we’re here to tell you otherwise. You are loved and you are more than enough.

The Body Shop Global Self Love Index shows that LGBTQ2+ people are nearly twice as likely to have low self-love than their cisgender and/or heterosexual peers.1

We want to encourage you all to rebel against the prejudice the community face every day and fight for a fairer, more accepting world. Discover our 9 acts to be a better ally below and let’s rise up to fight for change.

NINE WAYS TO BE A BETTER ALLY

This Pride, we’re doing more than celebrating. We’re raising our voices to bring LGBTQ2+ issues to light. We’re speaking out loud and we’re here to make change. We see you. We stand with you. We support you.

We know not everyone is at the same stage in their journey to become a better ally. Some of you are already on the front line (we salute you), while some of you want to do more. Whether you’re looking for ways to educate yourself, show your support or put your allyship into action, we’ve put together some things you can do to be that better ally.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

LISTEN

Stop and take it all in. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to soak up everything. Take time out to actively listen to others’ personal stories and experiences with mental health – whether it’s through podcasts, case studies, biographies or your own LGBTQ2+ friends. It’s time to get uncomfortable.

LEARN

Read up. Take those stories you’ve heard and find out more. Educate yourselves. Get beneath the skin of the issue, read stats and find out more about the mental health crisis within the LGBTQ2+ community. Lack of understanding and willingness to learn is just as harmful as discriminative systems. You’ve listened to experiences, now it’s time to understand why.

PRONOUNS

Small things can make a big difference. Referring to someone as the wrong title can hurt. Be thoughtful. Pronouns are a huge point of stress for the trans community. We need to learn and understand how to properly use and normalize pronouns so that our transgender friends can feel seen. Start by adding your pronouns to your email signature or Instagram bio.

INFLUENCE YOUR CIRCLE

Spread the word. Add to the awareness. The more people are informed, the quicker we lose any stigma. Share your findings with your friends, discuss with your colleagues and share on your social media. The silence must be broken. We need to speak out and shout out. The more open conversations we have, the better chance we have to make real change.

SUPPORT

Console people, be there for them, do what you can do to help. Learn how to ask your LGBTQ+ friends how they really are. Don’t be afraid to open up conversations with them. Be a listening ear and be a friend. Learn which direction to point your LGBTQ+ friends if they need tailored support.

CHALLENGE

Call things out. Don’t sit in silence. Tell someone when they’re making a mistake and offer a solution for the future. Not sure what the best solution is? Then research it. You don’t have to know everything; learning is the whole part of the process. The more learning, listening and reading you do, the more equipped you are to handle discrimination.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT, PROTEST

PROTEST

Do what you can to change perceptions. Follow social media pages, talk to friends, support policy change and find out how you can get involved. Showing up for your LGBTQ+ friends is just as important as speaking up. When we’re united, we’re unstoppable.

DANCE

Protest, make noise, fight against the system, yes. But have fun. Dance. Pride is a party, too. Nothing can stop you having fun. Pride is a time for many to feel free and be themselves. It’s a time for self-love. Loving yourself is rebelling against outdated systems and discriminative mindsets. Self-love is your superpower. So, go love yourself.

DONATE

There are lots of good causes fighting the good fight. Find them, research, support. However you can. Sign the Equality Act petition above to fight for safety, advocacy, protection, and well-being for and with the Trans community. For every petition signed, The Body Shop will donate $1 to Equality Federation.*

*From May 31, 2021 to August 29, 2021, The Body Shop will donate $1 of each signature collected to Equality Federation, up to a maximum donation of $25,000.