Immigrating to Calgary allowed me to be openly gay- but our city needs more space for LGBTQ+ Calgarians
Abstract
Croatian 2SLGBTQIA+ immigrant Tihana Radojcic shares her story of the changing political landscape in her home, immigrating to Calgary, and where Calgary needs to go in the future to be more supportive and friendly to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Notes
Future research / gaps identified: n/a
Integration timeline: not defined
Key findings:
1) “I love Croatia, but Croatia never truly loved me,” said Radojcic, a 2SLGBTQIA+ Croatian immigrant who now lives in Calgary.
2) She describes how a Croatian referendum to change a constitutional marriage back to only being between a man and a woman led to escalating safety concerns and her withdrawing from society.
3) Radojcic shares the joys she experiences as openly queer in Calgary, but also points out that Calgary needs more 2SLGBTQIA+ safe spaces to be inclusive.
4) Calgary Pride is one of the fastest growing celebrations in Canada.
Key recommendations:
Increase the number of 2SLGBTQIA+ safe spaces in Calgary for queer and trans joy and community (e.g. other cities have gay districts/streets/villages; the majority of gay bars in Calgary have shut down).
Location: Calgary, AB
Open access: Yes
Community organizations: Immigrant Services Calgary
Key populations: LGBTQ+ immigrants in Calgary