Oxford and Elgin County have partnered with Wilfred Laurier University and community partners to create The Rainbow Research Project for 2SLGBTQIA+, a health and social care survey.
The goal of the study is to look at local health, wellbeing, and access to care and social services for sexual and gender-diverse communities, via interviews and an online survey.
Oxford County conducted a smaller-scale survey in 2016 and found that more than half of the participants said they experienced silent harassment, like being stared at or whispered about, while 68% of trans and gender-diverse people said they’ve heard people call them abnormal sometimes or many times in their life. Overall, the study concluded that 67% of the participants opined that there is a need for LGBTQ-friendly social spaces in Oxford County.
Gayle Milne, a public nurse and member of the Oxford-Elgin Rainbow Research Coalition, says this kind of research is vital.
“It is so important that we get some information from people who have experience in our community. There is data from provincial, federal areas. We need local information in order to provide the best services possible to the people in our community.”
To learn more or participate in the survey, follow this link.
Written by: Mac Vincent
