The creation of Canada’s first LGBTQ community legal clinic — the funding for which was announced in March by the previous provincial government — is being held up by the Progressive Conservatives, as the new government conducts a review of funding for programs.

Egale, a national LGBTQ rights organization, was supposed to get funds to run the clinic as well as provide inclusivity training to Ontario’s more than 70 legal clinics. Had the money come through, the clinic was expected to be and up running this fall, likely in Toronto.

Now, the creation of the clinic is in doubt, as the new government has not yet committed to funding it.

“When Egale was advised that we would receive funding to open Ontario’s first and Canada’s only legal clinic dedicated to the unique needs of LGBTQI2S people, it was a significant step forward for our community,” said Egale executive director Helen Kennedy in a statement to the Star.

“Withholding this funding means that we will be denied full access to our justice system.”

Kennedy said the clinic would have helped clients with matters including family law, immigration and refugee cases and end-of-life planning, such as wills and estates, as well as any “high-priority areas” affecting members of the LGBTQ community.

Egale was expected to receive about $1 million per year for the clinic for three years.

The funding for the clinic was part of a larger announcement made by the Liberal government in March for its gender-based violence strategy, which would have seen up to $242 million invested over three years into programs supporting survivors of abuse “and to address the root causes of violence,” according to a news release at the time.

The funding was announced by three Liberal ministers: the attorney general, the minister of the status of women, and the minister of community and social services. It’s unclear how much money has been provided since March to other programs targeted by the strategy.

In response to questions from the Star as to whether the government still intends to invest the full $242 million, or at least the funds required for the LGBTQ legal clinic, a spokesperson for Attorney General Caroline Mulroney sent the following statement:

“Ontarians deserve to live free from the threat of violence and abuse. Our government for the people is committed to continuing to invest in programs that provide supports to survivors and those at risk of violence, such as emergency shelters, counselling, sexual assault centres, and court-based victim/witness assistance,” said spokesperson Jessica Trepanier.

“The government is currently looking at all programs and funding commitments. More information will be available at a later date.”

In her statement, Kennedy said that Egale’s survey of 34 Ontario legal clinics “revealed major gaps in services” and that there was an immediate need to provide specialized legal support for LGBTQ clients.

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“The majority of existing clinics surveyed explained that they are not equipped to respond to the needs of their LGBTQI2S clients,” she said.

According to that survey, nine clinics said they had a lack of referral resources and connections within the LGBTQ community, and eight clinics said they had internal barriers, such as lack of specialized or trained staff.

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