Executive Summary

Dilemmas about sexuality are often difficult during youth, which is an important period of identity formation. These dilemmas are especially complicated for those from ethno-racial minority (ERM) youth. The intersection of ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality are important for ERM youth growing up in Canada. ERM youth have to deal with cultural influences both from their families and ethnic minority group and those of mainstream Canadian society. Trying to navigate between both cultures can present specific challenges to both youth and their families.

Using a community-based research process, we engaged ERM youth in the research, program decision making and community action on intergenerational communication, family relationships and sexuality. Throughout this research project ERM youth provided pivotal leadership in generating knowledge about and finding solutions to these issues. Through interviews and focus groups with 35 ERM youth, we sought to encourage youth to speak up about sexuality.

The youth participants in this research expressed that sexuality is a taboo subject in their families and communities; however they still received clear messages on sexuality from parents, peers and society. Youth were not fully satisfied with these messages, as they were often categorical, leaving little or no room for discussion of differing opinions. They were triggered by gossip based on other community members' experiences, by the portrayal of sexuality in Western media, or used as warnings to prevent youth from becoming sexually active. For most participants, messages from parents, peers and schools about sexuality were either so out of sync with youths’ lived realities, or so uncomfortable to talk about, that they did not resonate or connect with youth.

Faced with significant barriers to communication, youth are more likely to look for supports outside the family. They may base their decisions on information from friends or from personal experiences. If their friends and partners are not well informed about issues of sexuality, this may not be a safe or healthy way for ERM youth to learn about sexuality. ERM youth need culturally appropriate and youth appropriate resources on sexuality education in order to make informed and healthy decisions.


This research project received Ethics approval from the Joint Faculty Research Ethics Board of the University of Manitoba.