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Pink Triangle Press, Environics study wins CRIC social impact award for exposing 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare disparities

Landmark Pink Paper on Health reveals unequal access to care, makes critical recommendations for fixing a broken system

Created for Pink Triangle Press • June 19, 2026 12:14 pm EDT

The Pink Paper on Health offers an unprecedented national overview of 2SLGBTQIA+ health and healthcare experiences in Canada, representing one of the most detailed studies to date. Credit: Pink Triangle press

The profound social impact of a definitive new study on 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare inequality has been recognized by the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC).

Commissioned by Pink Triangle Press in partnership with Environics and Women and Gender Equality Canada, the study reached more than 2,000 participants across the country. It stands as one of the largest initiatives of its kind to compare health outcomes between queer and trans communities and non-2SLGBTQIA+ Canadians. The resulting Pink Paper on Health highlighted grave disparities in both health outcomes and access to universal healthcare.

The paper—published in January alongside the launch of Script Health and its three newsletters—showed that 2SLGBTQIA+ people experience anxiety and depression on average about 50 percent more than non-queer people. Furthermore, more than a third of queer respondents indicated that, at the time they were surveyed, they had experienced thoughts of self-harm or that they would be better off dead on at least several days in the previous two weeks.

When broken down by specific identities, the research revealed that health outcomes are significantly worse for certain members of the community. Trans, intersex, asexual, questioning, and pansexual individuals fare especially poorly, experiencing depression and anxiety at up to twice the rate of non-queer Canadians.

The CRIC presented the project with its Social Sector Impact Award at its annual excellence awards gala on Tuesday, June 16, in Toronto. The award recognizes “excellence in an insights or analytics project that results in a demonstrable public service impact and/or benefit.”

“Universal healthcare is central to what defines Canada,” says David Walberg, CEO and executive director of Pink Triangle Press. “Environics’ research insights for the Pink Paper on Health serve as both a wake-up call and an opportunity.”

The Pink Paper on Health outlines seven recommendations to address the disparities revealed in the research. They include:

  • Integrating 2SLGBTQIA+ health into healthcare education.
  • Expanding inclusive mental health services at federal, provincial, and institutional levels.
  • Standardizing inclusive sex and gender data collection.
  • Improving access to health services in rural and remote communities.
  • Making institutions safer by centering 2SLGBTQIA+ voices.
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