HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government has announced a new plan it says will improve equity and community safety for LGBTQ+ people.
It includes a commitment to boost funding and improve the application process for transgender and non-binary people seeking gender-affirming care. The government is also promising to advance training for police and for corrections and victim services staff in order to reduce bias and improve the safety of LGBTQ+ Nova Scotians.
“This plan reflects what we heard directly from (LGBTQ+) Nova Scotians — their challenges, their priorities and their hopes,” Scott Armstrong, who is justice minister and oversees the office of equity and anti-racism, said in a statement.
“We are listening, and we are taking action to help ensure every person in this province can feel safe, welcomed and supported,” he said Thursday.
The action plan notes that housing instability and discrimination disproportionately affect trans and gender-diverse people, as well as racialized Nova Scotians, and it pledges to provide inclusive housing programs for the LGBTQ+ community.
The plan said the office of equity and anti-racism will report publicly and annually on progress toward meeting these goals. Nova Scotia’s government says more than 600 people who identify as LGBTQ+ offered feedback for the report.
Lisa Lachance with the official Opposition NDP said in a statement the action plan is “long overdue,” as LGBTQ+ Nova Scotians have been speaking up for years about issues like safe housing and a lack of employment support.
“Now we need to see real progress. The Houston government needs to commit to ongoing community consultation, timelines for results, and money,” Lachance said.
However, the member for Halifax Citadel-Sable Island said it’s disappointing that the plan does not include guidelines to support queer and trans students. “Students, parents, and staff have been waiting years for updated guidelines and they deserve to know how trans and gender-diverse students will be safe and supported in our schools,” Lachance said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2026.
Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version cited a news release from the Nova Scotia NDP quoting ‘Lisa Leblanc.’ However, the NDP later said the member’s correct name is Lisa Lachance.
