Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Human Rights Committee Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, May 17

On May 17, we marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT), a global reminder of the persistent discrimination, violence, and erasure faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

As the Human Rights Committee of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, we stand with workers of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in demanding dignity, safety, and justice—on the job, in the streets, and across every part of society.

Let’s be clear: discrimination based on who you are or who you love has no place in our workplaces or our unions. And yet, queer and trans workers continue to face higher rates of harassment, underemployment, wage gaps, and unsafe working conditions. That’s not just unacceptable; it’s a collective failure. And it demands action.

This year’s theme, “No one left behind,” isn’t just a slogan; it’s a call to interrogate the systems we’ve built and the silences we’ve allowed. It’s not enough to say we’re inclusive; we need to fight for safer contracts, inclusive benefits, gender-affirming healthcare, and strong workplace protections backed by legislation with teeth. Empty gestures don’t liberate people; organizing does.

We also recognize the particular threats facing Black, Indigenous, and racialized members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, trans women of colour in particular, who remain targets of both state and interpersonal violence. Solidarity must be intersectional, or it is solidarity in name only. As unionists, we know that an injury to one is an injury to all. So we recommit ourselves today to building a labour movement that is fiercely pro-queer, anti-racist, and unflinchingly trans-inclusive. That means bargaining for real equity. It means showing up at Pride events, not as a token gesture, but to build relationships and change the terrain. It means speaking up in the lunchroom, the boardroom, and the union hall.

We honour those who have led these struggles before us and stand in solidarity with those still fighting. Hate may be loud, but our solidarity is far louder. There’s no liberation without labour. And there’s no labour movement without queer and trans workers.  Let’s keep pushing so no one is left behind.