By Thomas Tri and Dr. Ajwang’ Warria
New UCalgary Social Work research sheds light on the journey to safety for LGBTQ+ newcomers in Calgary
Many LGBTQ+ newcomers arrive in Canada with dreams of freedom and safety – sharply contrasted with the persecution they often faced in their home countries. But what does “safety” actually feel like once they get here? Recent research from the University of Calgary reveals that for many LGBTQ+ newcomers, the journey to feeling truly safe is far more complex than simply crossing the border.
When Safety Isn’t Guaranteed
Bachelor of Social Work student Thomas Tri and Dr. Ajwang’ Warria, PhD from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work wanted to understand how LGBTQ+ newcomers experience and define safety in their daily lives. Through interviews and community mapping with six LGBTQ+ newcomers (aged 19-29) in Calgary, they uncovered some surprising realities.
Perhaps most strikingly, many participants found it safer to avoid their own expat communities than to seek comfort within them. The researchers also found that the promise of Canada as a safe haven often comes with unexpected challenges that they categorized into several key findings.
Navigating Multiple Challenges
From day one, LGBTQ+ newcomers face a perfect storm of obstacles:
- Cultural adaptation to unfamiliar Canadian systems
- Economic insecurity that limits housing and job options
- Profound loneliness and isolation
- Learning to navigate government services, healthcare, and employment
One participant described “Sometimes you just get tired. Just getting tired and paying the bills and sometimes you feel, I feel like the money is not enough. But then the feeling of missing, like missing people from home, is also there. So, I’ve been as an immigrant, it has not been so easy because I’m alone in Canada without family.” Financial instability increases vulnerability. Indeed, without money, options for newcomers shrink.
Developing Safety Strategies
Of course, newcomers don’t just passively experience their environments – they actively create safety through creative strategies:
- Relying on gut feelings or “vibes” to assess whether spaces are safe
- Scanning environments for subtle social cues that signal acceptance
- Strategically avoiding certain communities, even their own cultural diaspora
- Testing spaces gradually to see if they can express their LGBTQ+ identity freely
“I go with the environment and how I feel about the place of people around me. It’s a different approach in different places and with different people,” shared one participant who relies on their sixth sense.
Finding Moments of True Safety
Despite the challenges, participants described transformative moments and spaces where they finally felt safe:
- Public spaces where people “mind their own business”
- Communities where they could exist without scrutiny
- LGBTQ+ newcomer organizations that provided crucial connection and belonging
- Moments of authentic self-expression without fear
One newcomer described it powerfully: “I think I am starting to get life back. Because you are free. You are free to do what you want … we are lucky for Canada. Everyone exercises their rights according to how they want them. According to how they want to live. You feel you’re breathing. You’re not being followed and not being monitored. You’re not being accused of anything, of who you are.”
Challenging the Happy Ending Narrative
This research challenges the simplistic idea that LGBTQ+ newcomers automatically find safety upon arriving in Canada. Instead, safety emerges as an ongoing negotiation shaped by:
- Systemic barriers and discrimination
- Personal survival strategies
- The intersection of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and economic marginalization
Many of the newcomers discovered that while Canada offers legal protections on paper, the lived reality for many LGBTQ+ newcomers includes continued social exclusion and economic instability that limits their access to true security and self-expression.
Creating Meaningful Change
Based on their findings, the researchers recommend several paths forward:
1. Shift from “safe spaces” to “safer spaces” – Recognize that safety is a continuous process, not a fixed state
2. Foster visible inclusion – Organizations should provide LGBTQ+ representation, anti-racism training, and affirming signage
3. Build community connections – Peer mentorship and group activities can reduce isolation among LGBTQ+ newcomers
4. Address systemic barriers – Policy changes must tackle employment discrimination, housing insecurity, and healthcare access issues
5. Center LGBTQ+ newcomer voices – Support interventions informed by lived experiences to create genuine inclusion
The Road Ahead
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this research is that it challenges a lot of assumptions about what safety looks like for LGBTQ+ newcomers in Canada. Safety for this population isn’t automatically granted upon arrival in Canada. It’s a complex journey that requires personal agency, social connections, and strategic decision-making as they carve out spaces for themselves.
As one participant summarizes that the LGBTQ+ newcomer experience isn’t a monolith but rather that there is diversity and it is something they are building for and by themselves: “So, you see, people have different experiences, some actually don’t want to be reminded of the experience, but they are ready to move ahead and to move on.”
*This research was published in the Diversity & Inclusion Research journal in 2025. The study was supported by the Program for Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) Award by the University of Calgary and by Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate program
Thomas Tri
Leave a Reply