Last weekend, IWAV was proud to participate in the Salt Spring Island Pride Parade, standing alongside our 2SLGBTQIA+ community in celebration of authenticity, belonging, and inclusion.
Pride is a celebration of love, identity, and resilience. It is also a reminder that many members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community continue to experience disproportionately high rates of gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and harassment.
Statistics Canada research highlights the scope of this issue:
- Nearly half (49%) of LGB+ women have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15, almost double the rate reported by heterosexual women (25%).
- Nearly 6 in 10 transgender and gender-diverse people have experienced violent victimization.
- Transgender and gender-diverse people are more than twice as likely as cisgender people to experience unwanted sexual behaviours in public places, workplaces, and online.
These are more than statistics, they represent people in our communities, our friends, neighbours, family members, coworkers, and loved ones.
At IWAV, we believe that support should never depend on who you are, who you love, or how you identify. We are committed to providing safe, free, confidential services that are welcoming and inclusive of women – including trans women – non-binary, gender-diverse, and 2SLGBTQIA+ community members across the Southern Gulf Islands.
While Pride Month and Pride celebrations shine an important spotlight on inclusion, our commitment extends far beyond a single day or event. Every day, we work to help people find safety, healing, and hope while building communities where violence and abuse are not tolerated and everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us at Pride and to those who continue working toward a future where everyone can live free from violence and abuse.
If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or abuse, IWAV is here to help. We provide free, confidential support throughout the Southern Gulf Islands. Please help us spread the word by sharing that inclusive support is available. Together, we can build communities where everyone belongs, everyone is safe, and everyone knows they have somewhere to turn.
