Researching for LGBTQ Health

Trans Community

“Trans is an umbrella term that encompasses a diverse group of people whose gender identity or expression diverts from prevailing societal expectations. Trans includes transsexual, transitioned, transgender, and genderqueer people, as well as some two-spirit people” (1, 2).

The “T” has often been left out of LGBTQ research, and worse, some research has pathologized and marginalized trans people. Research led by trans communities, including the Trans PULSE Project has found that trans people experience discrimination (transphobia), high rates of violence and difficulties in finding housing, employment and adequate health care services, all of which lead to poor health outcomes. In addition to studying these challenges, researchers are beginning to explore the unique perspectives that trans communities offer, for example our Transforming Family study explores the strengths that trans people bring to parenting, because of, not in spite of their trans identity.

We welcome the participation of trans people in all of our current projects:

  • Pathways to Effective Depression Treatment
  • Creating our families: A pilot study of the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people accessing assisted human reproduction services in Ontario
  • Risk and Resilience among Bisexual People in Ontario: A Community-Based Study of Bisexual Mental Health
  • Access to primary care for people with serious mental health and/or substance use issues: A qualitative study

Please visit our Projects page for more information about each of these projects.

Resources

Please visit our Resources page for more resources about trans health and parenting.

Notes:

1. Bauer, G.R., Hammond, R., Travers, R., Kaay, M., Hohenadel, K.M., & Boyce, M. (2009). “I Don’t Think This Is Theoretical; This Is Our Lives”: How Erasure Impacts Health Care for Transgender People. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 20(5), 348-361.

2. Gender identity is unrelated to sexual orientation; not all trans people identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or two-spirit.