{"id":60660,"date":"2022-07-16T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-16T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-cglcc-multisite.pantheonsite.io\/fr\/news\/dont-roll-the-dice-canadas-need-to-equal-the-playing-field-for-lgbt-founders\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T19:28:33","slug":"ne-lancez-pas-les-des-le-canadas-doit-egaliser-les-chances-pour-les-fondateurs-lgbt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/queerchamber.ca\/fr\/news\/ne-lancez-pas-les-des-le-canadas-doit-egaliser-les-chances-pour-les-fondateurs-lgbt\/","title":{"rendered":"Ne lancez pas les d\u00e9s : le Canada doit \u00eatre sur un pied d\u2019\u00e9galit\u00e9 pour les fondateurs 2ELGBTQI+"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Darrell Schuurman, CEO, CQCC & Kayla Isabelle, CEO, Startup Canada<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Picture this. A game of monopoly has already been going on for three days and you are asked to join. In the past you haven\u2019t been invited to many games, so you are thrilled at the opportunity \u2013 of course, you\u2019ll join! But after a short amount of time you realize all of the properties have already been bought and sold, all of the resources have been handed out, and you\u2019re starting from nothing. How can you win? You can\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, you can\u2019t unless someone changes the rules, gives each new player a few extra turns or certain resources are removed from the initial players. This is the reality for 2SLGBTQI+ and other marginalized entrepreneurs across Canada. While circumstances have improved over the years \u2013 and that should be celebrated \u2013 the disparity between the original and new players still exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs in Canada face significant barriers to success, even in 2022. While things have moved in the right direction, issues continue to persist. Historic discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ individuals is not something of the past, nor does it exist in silos from other axes of oppression and marginalization \u2013 the hurdles that many 2SLGBTQI+ founders face today are as a result of ongoing systemic, and structrual inequalities. Like an unfair game of monopoly, many from the community \u2013 and the organizations who work to support them \u2013 have had to focus on surviving over thriving for far too long.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The clear gap in tailored and accessible tools, programs, and resources for 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs only exacerbates these barriers and, as a result, the continued inequity experienced by this community. Public and private sector players with the human and financial resources necessary to empower the research, development, implementation, and circulation of these vital resources need to step up \u2013 and urgently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our First Hand Experience <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The CQCC and Startup Canada recently experienced this gap first hand when attempting to curate an all encompassing resource guide<\/a> for 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs at the start of Pride Month. Of 15+ support organizations reached out to, all saw value in the initiative yet only three were able to submit resources. There is a serious, illuminating problem in that 80 per cent of these organizations had no resources prepared to share, or those that did had next to no capacity to be involved. It needs to be clarified that these realities are in no way the fault of these specialized support entities. Despite extreme capacity barriers, understaffing, and underfunding, they work double time to stretch whatever resources they do have \u2013 financial and human \u2013 in order to make real, positive impacts for their communities. This underserved community of organizations, and those they represent, should be focusing on their mandates, not having to spend their valuable time and energy fighting for the need to be recognized as vital and worthy of external support.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specialized 2SLGBTQI+ support organizations, whether inside or outside of the scope of founder support, exist across the country and do incredible work advocating for 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. These organizations and the people who make up their teams work tirelessly on their mission to support the 2SLGBTQI+ community each day \u2013 unfortunately, these organizations are often playing on the same monopoly board as the community they serve.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Historical Discrimination <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Historically, Canada has portrayed itself <\/a>as a friendly, accepting country. Sure, in many ways we are \u2013 we like to hold doors open for others and we say sorry\u2026 a lot. But for many underrepresented and marginalized communities \u2013 Indigenous Nations, visible minorities, people with disabilities \u2013 Canada is a place of mistrust and broken promises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, this also rings true. Historical discrimination<\/a> against this community includes, but certainly isn\u2019t limited to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n