November 2022 - SPECTRUM

SPECTRUM News, Survey, WAGE Grant

Survey on the Experiences of Black, Indigenous, and Racialized 2SLGBTQIA+ People in Waterloo Region

Since July, we have been working on a community engagement project made possible by an extension of the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund grant administered by Women and Gender Equality Canada. Thus far, this work has included an environmental scan to discover what programs and services are available for Black, Indigenous, and racialized people from 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations in Ontario, and video interviews with local community members. The next step is a survey being released today.

Knowing that SPECTRUM Waterloo Region’s Rainbow Community Space has had a lack of affirming actions towards Black, Indigenous, and racialized 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, we are trying to take well informed and responsible steps to amend that.

We would like to identify the needs, barriers and challenges of Black, Indigenous, and racialized members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, with the goal of understanding which programs and services would be helpful in Waterloo Region. The survey will cover topics such as local 2SGLTBQIA+ organizations, personal experiences, educational curricula, workspace hiring practices, and other miscellaneous topics.

The survey is anonymous and the results will be shared with the community so that not only SPECTRUM, but also other organizations, can benefit from the findings. It is our hope that the information collected will help us understand the experiences of local Black, Indigenous, and racialized community members, and identify potential areas for education and improvement for SPECTRUM.

The survey is not the only opportunity community members will have to engage with us during this project. In the near future, there will also be focus groups to examine specific topics in detail, and we always welcome feedback by email at info@ourspectrum.com. In addition, more video interviews will be conducted in the new year.

We are extremely grateful to those willing to take the time to complete this survey and help us improve so that we can more effectively work towards our vision of an inclusive community where all 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are welcomed, celebrated, and supported as their authentic selves.

Take the survey here.

Awareness, Events, Statements

In Response to the Attack at Club Q

We grieve with the loved ones of the people who were murdered at Club Q this weekend and wish speedy healing to those who were injured.

These tragic events are just the latest in a long line of examples demonstrating that normalizing hate speech has deadly consequences for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. The few spaces that 2SLGBTQIA+ people are able to create for ourselves should be safe places for us celebrate and support one another. This should have been especially true on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize transgender people whose lives have been lost to violence.

The trauma of every homophobic comment, transphobic attack on the rights of trans and non-binary people, and act of queerphobic violence makes our lives much more difficult but we will not be silenced. Canada – and Waterloo Region – are not immune to this kind of violence. Our governments and leaders must be held accountable for allowing increasing incidents of hate speech and hate crimes to endanger 2SLGBTQIA+ people.

The fight for the rights and safety of 2SLGBTQIA+ people is not over. We have always been here and will continue to fight until we can all live safely as our authentic selves.