The Yukon government will be providing funding to Queer Yukon Society to create a new health care navigator position that will help 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners access safe, equitable and timely health care services.
The position will help 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners navigate the Yukon’s health system and remove barriers to accessing care. The navigator will work closely with health care providers to identify pathways to care and provide information to 2SLGBTQIA+ people who are seeking safe, affirming services. This includes both individual support and public-facing guidance on things like choosing a mental health practitioner and accessing gender-affirming care.
The new position aligns with the government’s commitment to end discrimination against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and to make the health care system more inclusive and accessible to all Yukoners.
We are pleased to be working with Queer Yukon Society to create a new position that will help remove barriers that some 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners experience in the health care system. This position is one of the ways we are working to build trust while we enable access to those deeply important services and procedures. We will continue to work with partners across the territory to make a more inclusive health care system for all.
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee
This week is Transgender Awareness Week and is an important opportunity to raise awareness around the issues that the Yukon’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community continues to face. We are pleased to continue to partner with Queer Yukon Society to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community navigate the health care system and access the care they need.
Minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate Jeanie McLean
2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and families are more likely than average to experience chronic illness or have complex medical needs, and less likely to have access to safe, affirming healthcare. For Two-Spirit, trans, nonbinary and intersex individuals in particular, accessing gender-affirming care can be an incredibly fraught and confusing process. Having a health care navigator in place will be a big step toward making sure 2SLGBTQIA+ Yukoners are healthy and safe, and Queer Yukon is looking forward to working with Yukon government to roll out this position shortly.
Executive Director of Queer Yukon Society Mona Luxion
Creating a navigator position is one of the actions in the LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion Action Plan that was released in July, 2021.
The LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion Action Plan includes more than 100 actions under nine themes including health care, education and youth, community and culture, tourism, inclusive governance, the Yukon government as an employer, public facilities, gender data and accountability.
Read the letter from the Government of Yukon to Queer Yukon regarding gender-affirming care.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Claire Robson
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-332-5907
claire.robson@yukon.ca