Canada has a proud history of providing protection to the world’s most vulnerable groups. And we plan to do more.

The following is offered in rebuttal to a Jan. 15 column by Stephen Brown on the Trudeau government’s commitment to LGBTI rights internationally:

Around the world and in Canada, LGBTQ2 communities still face unequal, unacceptable barriers, discrimination, and even violence. This has to change – and our government has worked hard every day to reduce barriers and end discrimination, alongside advocates and civil society groups in Canada and internationally.

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We have taken many steps to affirm the rights and dignity of LGBTQ2 people in Canada and around the world. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first sitting prime minister to march in Pride parades, he raised both Pride and Trans flags on Parliament Hill for the first time, and he made a historic apology on behalf of the government for past wrongs.

Our concrete action has also made a real difference in people’s lives – such as creating an LGBTQ2 Secretariat dedicated to advancing equality, enshrining rights for trans and gender non-conforming people into law, and increasing funding and capacity-building support for LGBTQ2 organizations across Canada.

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But there is more that needs to be done.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the first sitting prime minister to march in Pride parades … and he made a historic apology on behalf of the government for past wrongs.

As the newly appointed minister for Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, I will be working with civil society advocates and my cabinet colleagues to address both domestic and international challenges facing LGBTQ2 people. This means actually having a minister around the cabinet table to build on the work of our former LGBTQ2 adviser and MP Randy Boissonnault. Whether it’s laying the groundwork for an LGBTQ2 action plan, combatting online hate and harassment, eliminating the blood ban for men who have sex with other men, or ending the practice of conversion therapy in Canada – I will work tirelessly to ensure that everyone feels safe and free to be who they are.

We also know the importance of playing a leadership role on the international stage. Canada has a proud history of providing protection to the world’s most vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQ2 communities. Our government – including our Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Minister of International Development Karina Gould – will never shy away from mobilizing international support to promote and protect their rights.

Over the past few years, Canada has substantially increased funding for LGBTQ2 organizations around the world to support their work, and we have been a strong partner within the Equal Rights Coalition , the world’s first intergovernmental body dedicated to the protection of LGBTQ2 rights.

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And recognizing the specific vulnerabilities and persecution that LGBTQ2 refugees face, we have helped LGBTQ2 refugees – from places such as Syria and Chechnya – make Canada their home through the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership

My colleague, Marco Mendicino, minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, is committed to introducing a dedicated refugee stream to provide safe haven for human rights advocates – including LGBTQ2 advocates, journalists and humanitarian workers at risk.

It is also no small thing that – for the first time in Canada’s history – every single cabinet minister around table has been mandated by the prime minister to apply Gender-based Analysis Plus in all decisions that we make. This means that we must analyze the best way to implement policies based on evidence and an intersectional approach, including the specific needs and realities of LGBTQ2 Canadians, racialized Canadians and other diverse identities.

We have accomplished a great deal together with LGBTQ2 communities, and we know we there is still a lot of hard work ahead of us to advance equality for everyone and fight against discrimination in Canada and around the world – and we are committed to continuing this work.

Bardish Chagger is the federal minister for Diversity and Inclusion and Youth.

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