abstract
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This paper uses two nationally representative surveys to examine sexual identity-behaviour discordance in Canada. The first is the Sex in Canada survey (SCS), which is a private survey of 2,303 Canadians. The second is the 2015-2016 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which is a large government-administered survey with 109,659 respondents. Results from the CCHS show that identity-behaviour discordance and overall rates of same-sex contact are lower in Canada than in the U.S., U.K., or Australia. Still, an estimated 65,700 males and 255,100 females aged 15 to 64 identify as heterosexual yet have had same-sex contact. Age is the only demographic factor which is associated with discordance. Results from the SCS show that about two-thirds of heterosexuals with identity-behaviour discordance are moderately supportive of LGBQ rights and one-third are ambivalent towards them. Future research will need to uncover why a lower proportion of Canadians report same-sex partners and identity-behaviour discordance than their counterparts in the U.S., U.K., or Australia.