Lesbian and gay health issues: OUTside of Canada’s health policy

Abstract

This article uses the notion of sexual citizenship as an analytical tool to uncover the ideology of heterosexuality underlying the assumptions in current ideas of citizenship. It highlights how this ideology, as reflected in the Canadian health care delivery model, is embedded in the Canada Health Act, as a health policy. It indicates that the process of sexualizing citizenship focuses attention on the monolithic construct of the heterosexual citizen while, paradoxically creating a space for lesbian and gay visibility within the health care arena. This visibility, however, is based on a partial citizenship, in that, the ideology of heterosexuality prevents lesbian women and gay men from exercising their full right as citizens to health provisions as guaranteed by the Canada Health Act. In this way, lesbian and gay visibility is characterized by exclusion. The notion of sexual citizenship is used as a strategy towards inclusion.