Laurier expert alert: Pride Month

May 29, 2020
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Pride Month is celebrated every year in June in cities across Canada. Wilfrid Laurier University has experts who can speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ2S+ community, community health and related topics. Read about how Laurier is celebrating Pride Month. 

Todd Coleman, assistant professor in the Deparment of Health Sciences, is an expert on LGBTQ2S+ community health, HIV/AIDS and sexual health. He is available for comment on LGBTQ2S+ community health, the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and on how health issues and access to health care differ according to sexual orientation and gender identities. Read about his research on the experiences of trans people in Waterloo Region. Contact: tcoleman@wlu.ca

Simon Coulombe, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, is an expert on the resilience and wellbeing of people facing adversity and marginalization, including the LGBTQ2S+ community. His research has focused on the role of community environments and mental health services in understanding and reducing wellbeing inequities. Read more about his work. Contact: scoulombe@wlu.ca

Morgan Holmes, professor in the Department of Sociology, is an expert on sexuality, health and social justice. She has written extensively about the effects of diagnosing and treating intersex infants and children, the ethics of consent to elective surgery for minors and laws related to sexuality and health.

Cameron McKenzie, assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, is currently studying the policies and programs in place to address health inequity in the LGTBQ2S+ community, as well as the class dimensions of LGBTQ2S+ discrimination. Last year, he submitted a paper on the development of a federal LGBTQ2S+ health equity strategy to a House of Commons standing committee. Previously, he’s studied controversies within Ontario’s sex education curriculum and historical perspectives on the gay/queer liberation movement. Contact: camckenzie@wlu.ca

Robb Travers, professor and chair of Health Sciences, is an expert on the social exclusion of and discrimination against LGBTQ2S+ individuals and communities, including high school students. He was a key leader of the OutLook Study, Waterloo Region’s first comprehensive study about the local LGBTQ2S+ community, including victimization and community safety. Read more about the results of the OutLook Study. Contact: rtravers@wlu.ca

Michael Woodford, associate professor in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, is an expert on the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ2S+ youth. Woodford’s research explores how discrimination can increase LGBTQ2S+ youth's risk for poor mental health and other negative outcomes, as well as the factors that can foster resilience to discrimination. Woodford is leading the Thriving on Campus Study, a province-wide survey exploring the experiences, mental health and academic success of LGBTQ2S+ university students in Ontario. Read more about his work. Contact: mwoodford@wlu.ca