Highlights

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

  • According to the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS), gays, lesbians and bisexuals reported experiencing higher rates of violent victimization including sexual assault, robbery and physical assault, than did their heterosexual counterparts.
  • Despite experiencing higher rates of violence, gays, lesbians and bisexuals did not express higher levels of fear than did heterosexuals. Regardless of sexual orientation, about 9 out of 10 Canadians indicated that they were "somewhat" or "very" satisfied with their personal safety from crime.
  • Gays, lesbians and bisexuals expressed lower levels of satisfaction with police performance than their heterosexual counterparts. For example, fewer gays, lesbians and bisexuals felt that the police were doing a good job of treating people fairly compared to heterosexuals (42% of gays/lesbians and 47% of bisexuals versus 60% of heterosexuals).
  • The proportion of gays, lesbians and bisexuals who felt they had experienced discrimination was about 3 times higher than that of heterosexuals. Furthermore, 78% of gays and lesbians who experienced discrimination believed it was because of their sexual orientation compared to 29% of bisexuals and 2% of heterosexuals.