Hi! My name is Jamie and I’m a Social Service Worker student from Conestoga College and I’m
doing my placement at Spectrum this semester. For transparency, I’m a white neurodivergent
pansexual transgender guy who has a special passion for supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ folks with
mental illnesses and who may be homeless or have experienced homelessness at some point in their life. I have personal and professional experience with service navigation and I’m very
knowledgeable about 2SLGBTQIA+ issues and tenant rights. My goal during my placement is to
attend as many of the groups/events Spectrum offers and share my experiences while
attending these groups, as well as the experiences of other folks who attend and have willingly
answered questions that I have asked them.
As a part of attending these groups, I have written a series of journal entries that discuss my own thoughts of the spaces, combined with the answers I received from other attendees. Today, I’ll be talking about my experience at Spectrum on the Spectrum, which is a group for people who are on the Autism spectrum and identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
Spectrum on the Spectrum
I have attended Spectrum on the Spectrum before my placement, but this time was particularly amazing. The environment was very welcoming and everyone was very friendly. There were drinks and snacks that were offered, as well as fidget toys and paper/markers for those who were non-speaking but still wanted to communicate. I spent the majority of the meeting talking with a group of three other people and I felt like I made a great connection with them. Some regular attendees of this group mentioned that this is the most people they have ever seen attend in the past which is great that word is getting out there that such an amazing group is running at Spectrum. I do, however, wish that the group ran more often as it currently runs only once a month. Hopefully, that is something Spectrum will be able to do in the future.
One attendee that I had the pleasure of interviewing said “This specific group allows me to
make other LGBTQ+ friends without worrying that I’ll act too awkwardly” and that “the
meetings for Spectrum on the Spectrum are relaxing and give me a sense of community”. When asked what would you like for people to know who are considering attending this group they said “It was a bit scary to visit, but everyone at Spectrum is really welcoming. If you’ve
considered visiting, it’s definitely worthwhile to try.
Over the course of the next few months, I’ll be sharing my other experiences of Spectrum Groups.
If you’re interested in attending any future Spectrum groups, make sure to check out the events calendar (ourspectrum.com/events) or follow us on social media.
Thanks for reading!
Jamie