2SLGBTQ+ Grief Support
All aspects of our lives and identities play intersecting roles in the ways in which one experiences death, dying, grief, and bereavement. One who is a part of this community may struggle to feel supported in their grief as there can be additional barriers to one having their grief recognized, and their relationship to the person that died, acknowledged (Canadian Virtual Hospice, 2021).
While not all 2SLGBTQ+ grief looks the same, it can be important for some to have the opportunity to unpack the unique challenges that can occur when having a 2SLGBTQ+ identity and grieving, or navigating palliative care for yourself or a loved one. Following are how some of these challenges may present and ways in which Chilliwack Hospice Society can support.
Possible Challenges:
- A service provider referring to you as a friend of the person that is dying even though you are their spouse/partner (Canadian Virtual Hospice, 2021)
- Possible stress around the disclosure of your 2SLGBTQ+ identity in a medical system or grief support environment (Canadian Virtual Hospice, 2021)
- One’s 2SLGBTQ+ identifying partner died and no one knew about your relationship or this part of either of your identities. This may cause isolation in one’s experience of grief (Canadian Virtual Hospice, 2021)
Preparing for your own end-of-life care and death
Chilliwack Hospice Society offers educational workshops on advance care planning. We highly encourage everyone to have their wishes written down for times in life when you are not able to express them. One may experience fear around death and dying due to anxieties about not having a medical team or support system that respects your wishes at the end of life.
By having a will and an advance care plan, individuals are able to hold autonomy while dying and that is the first step in planning ahead in a way that pays attention to the unique challenges that 2SLGBTQ+ identifying individuals may face when navigating medical and social systems.
2SLGBTQ+ grief support at Chilliwack Hospice Society
Chilliwack Hospice Society is committed to continual learning on how to make our programs more inclusive and best serve the needs of the community in which we support. We recognize the unique challenges that 2SLGBTQ+ people may face through their grief and/or palliative journeys. We aim to offer a safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals to process their grief or to be supported through the process of dying or supporting a loved one at end of life.
Chilliwack Hospice Society offers one-to-one grief support sessions in which clients are invited to explore and better understand how aspects of their identity affect the ways in which they grieve.
Information collected from:
Canadian Virtual Hospice. (2021). Canadian Virtual Hospice. MyGrief.ca. https://www.virtualhospice.ca/2SLGBTQ
Gender Support Network. (2025). Chilliwack Gender Support Network. Chilliwack Youth Health Centre. https://chilliwackyhc.com/chilliwack-gender-support-network/
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. (2021, June 22). 2SLGBTQ: Palliative care needs. Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO). https://www.hpco.ca/2slgbtq-palliative-care-needs-2/