Issue 31: Not Sure Why You Should Care About Queer and Trans Folks?  March 28th 2025

Finding Hope Amidst Fear: Canadian Allies Support LGBTQ+ Americans

Photo by Mercedes Mehling on Unsplash

The rise of right-wing populism and ideology in the US is the reason most 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians fear their rights will be rolled back. Interligne is a Canadian non-profit that supports LGBTQ+ youth through counseling and advocacy. It published a report in September 2024 finding that:

“86% of 2SLGBTQIA+ people experienced at least one mental health challenge in the past year."

In his first month in 2025, President Trump signed three anti-2SLGBTQ+ executive orders targeting non-binary, transgender, and intersex individuals. Pink News reported a significant increase in Google searches for "LGBTQ+ asylum Canada." This trend shows that many queer and transgender individuals are looking for ways to find safety in Canada.

The Rainbow Railroad organization assists 2SLGBTQ+ members whose lives are in danger to relocate. Historically, the US has been a primary destination for queer individuals seeking safety. However, many 2SLGBTQ+ members in the US now live in fear and wish to leave communities they find unsafe. According to the CBC, Rainbow Railroad experienced an 1,100 percent increase in requests within the first 60 days of 2025.

Photo source Raphael Renter | @raphi_rawr on Unsplash

Challenges 2SLGBTQ+ asylum seekers face: For 2SLGBTQ+ applicants to be accepted as refugees in Canada, all parts of the United States must be deemed unsafe and the applicant must be in immediate danger, a concept known as Internal Fight Alternative. There are states in the US that are pro-2SLGBTQ+ where new discriminatory laws have not been officially enacted. While people can apply, acceptance into Canada is not guaranteed because parts of the US are still safe.

In 2024, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reported that out of 115 claims from the United States, 65 were rejected and 24 fell into withdrawn/other categories. Many applicants were not recognized as persons in need of protection. The numbers for 2025 remain unclear, including how many claims were from 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.

Sieran Yung: Listening and “Being There" for Our Community

Photo source: Sieran Yung

The following interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Spinning Forward spoke with two Toronto-based mental health therapists, Sieran Yung (@sieranlane) and another from Yijia Shao (@queerjoytherapy). They discussed how the Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ community is coping with setbacks, loss of rights, and rising fear in the US, as well as ways to be better allies from Toronto.

Sieran Yung (he/him) @sieranlane is a non-binary therapist from Toronto specializing in 2SLGBTQ+ therapy. He is part of the community and is dedicated to supporting queer and trans people.

Spinning Forward: How can Canadians support 2SLGBTQ+ friends and family in the US?

Yung reached out to a BIPOC trans friend in a red state to check in, listen, and offer support.

"I messaged them one day saying 'hey' you know, 'so I've been wanting to ask how are you doing over there' especially after Trump said all that BS about trans people. I was really putting it out there that, you know, I'm here to talk."

He encourages providing emotional support, which sometimes includes talking about things unrelated to queerness:

"That's something I do with clients a lot. Just really prioritizing emotional support and also helping them see different ways out of their situation. Different people have different ways of showing support. Some people are more comfortable giving practical support, financial support, or emotional support. Just think about your own strengths."

Yung shared a recent article by writer and educator S. Bear Bergman called “What you can do, right now, for your trans and nonbinary friends, family, students and colleagues”. He offers practical tips for supporting trans and nonbinary people at this time:

• Share Positive Content: Avoid being overwhelmed with negative news.
• Donate Locally: Support trans organizations and artists.
• Host Gatherings: Build real-life connections.
• Advocate for Rights: Contact decision-makers and tell them how you feel.
• Show Patience: Understand the challenges faced by trans individuals.

Photo source: Yijia Shao

Yijia Shao: Cultivating Joy and Hope in Difficult Times

Yijia Shao (he/they) @queerjoytherapy, a Toronto-based therapist, shared insights from his experience as a Chinese queer immigrant who has faced various traumas. He discussed how the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the U.S. and Canada can find hope during challenging times.

Spinning Forward: How does US policy impact the LGBTQ+ community domestically and globally?

"The US is an imperial state. That doesn't just affect people who are in America. It also affects the whole world, unfortunately, because of how much power they hold... There's a general sense of fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and grief that comes up for a lot of folks, especially trans and gender diverse folks."

He believes in the importance of understanding and providing emotional support to alleviate feelings of devastation and hopelessness:

Yijia Shao: "Some folks might not face immediate danger because of the policy changing. It’s more of a feeling of devastation or hopelessness and when it's met with understanding and emotional support. I believe people have the innate power to continue their journey."

Taking time to grieve: As an immigrant from China, Yijia has experienced difficulties posed by the country's anti-2SLGBTQ+ policies. He says, it’s ok to not be ok and to grieve until you’re ready to move on:

"We don't have to shift to hope or optimism very suddenly...It's okay to let yourself grieve completely."

Healing through ancestral wisdom: Shao suggests calling on wisdom from your past or elsewhere when feeling lost:

"[Calling] your ancestral wisdom, [your ancestors] have survived so many generations in harder circumstances... We can call a little bit of that wisdom and resilience and embody that. I want to say that the queer community has always found ways to build joy, to build love and connection even in the most oppressive times."

Spinning Forward: Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'calling upon your ancestors'? Does this involve spirituality?

Yijia Shao: "For me personally, it is a combination of spirituality and way of living. In the narrative of history, we can get inspired of how people survive. For example, the most famous existential therapist, Viktor Francl wrote about how he survived the Holocaust and that inspired generations."

I'm inspired by a lot of Indigenous people. The healing power and how they survived colonization and genocide. Additionally, their connection between the land and ourselves. I want to talk about the connection relationship here. It doesn't have to be spiritual. It can just be a relationship. Especially for folks who face some challenges in finding their community, to find relationships that nurture them in present times. And that can be a good way to call up some relationship with nature, with the lands we're living on, or with your ancestors."

While the journey to seek asylum in Canada may not be a viable option for most 2SLGBTQ+ Americans, there are ways to be hopeful on both sides of the border. Canadian allies need to support friends and families in the US.

Source image

How are you, personally?

M Gessen (they/them) who is non-binary and trans, and the author of Surviving Autocracy, wrote a recent New York Times opinion piece called The Hidden Motives Behind Trumps Attacks on trans individuals:

”A friend recently told me that he has devised a way to ask people how they are doing that is appropriate for the current, protracted bad-news moment. He asks, “How are you, personally?”

“It is undoubtedly true that the Trump administration won’t stop at denationalizing trans people, but it is also true that a majority of Americans are safe from these kinds of attacks, just as a majority of Germans were.”

”The reason you should care about this is not that it could happen to you but that it is already happening to others. It is happening to people who, we claim, have rights just because we are human. It is happening to me, personally.“

More than ever, community and solidarity are needed to focus on hope and action amidst fear and uncertainty.

Additional Resources: Please follow Yijia Shao's Instagram @queerjoytherapy website. Yijia hosts free mental health & creative online workshops for the community every month in Toronto.

This article discusses matters that may induce stress or anxiety. If you need immediate support, contact the PFLAG helpline: 416-406-1727 or check out Rainbow Health Ontario for more resources.

Sharon Ye is a student with a passion for journalism and creative illustration. Currently, she is studying to be a future pharmacist at the University of Waterloo, ON.