August 27, 2019
Toronto, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to announce the release of “Sexual and Gender Diversity in Post-Secondary Education: LGBTQ+ Students Interview Series Report”. The report, written by Linda Cabral, OUSA’s Summer Research Intern, shares the stories and experiences of LGBTQ+ students from across the province who participated in OUSA’s LGBTQ+ Students Interview Series in the fall of 2018. The interview series was conducted by a former OUSA Research and Policy Analyst, Martyna Siekanowicz.
“Over the past four months, I have read through our interview series and external research to get a glimpse at what Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students think about their campuses and post-secondary education as a whole,” said Linda Cabral, OUSA’s Summer Research Intern and report author. “There are still many barriers that these students face, such as unequal access to healthcare and high rates of homophobic and transphobic language used by peers.”
Main findings from the report highlight the need for both institutions and the provincial government to do more to protect Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students. These students voiced serious concerns about health and wellness, campus resources and spaces, university policies, university teaching staff, security and safety, provincial policies, and financial stability – all areas that impact on a person’s well-being and their ability to access and continue post-secondary education. Unfortunately, the experiences and concerns of Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students are often an afterthought, if they are considered at all. The stories in this interview series are therefore important for institutions and the provincial government to listen to as they make and support changes to make post-secondary education safe and accessible for Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students.
Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ students deserve to have their voices heard and represented at their postsecondary institutions, both on campus and in academia as a whole. OUSA is thankful to be able to contribute by creating space for these voices to be heard and will continue to advocate based on student voices. To read the full report, click here.
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OUSA represents the interests of 150,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations across Ontario. Our vision is for an accessible, affordable, accountable, and high quality post-secondary education in Ontario.
Crystal Mak
Operations & Communications Coordinator
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance
416-341-9948