Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) people experience discrimination in their day-to-day lives that greatly contributes to poorer health outcomes. Health service settings are common sites of discrimination for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, who often feel unsafe and fear mistreatment, which leads to reticence to access essential health services altogether.
Care approaches within health care settings must be adapted and informed to better meet the unique needs of 2S/LGBTQIA+ people to ensure equitable and safe care. Emerging research suggests that affirming care that centres respect, cultural competency, identity recognition, and person-centred practices can foster trust, and improve communication and overall well-being.
Building on these insights, this research adopts a strengths-based approach to explore how 2S/LGBTQIA+ individuals and healthcare providers conceptualize and experience safe and affirming care in hospital settings. By shifting attention from discrimination to affirmation, this work seeks to identify the relational, cultural, and structural factors that contribute to safety, dignity, and belonging in healthcare.