Laurier expert alert: Pride Month

June 6, 2022
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO – Each June, Pride Month recognizes and honours the experiences and history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, and two-spirit (2SLGBTQ+) individuals and communities and celebrates the positive impacts 2SLGBTQQIA+ people have had around the world.

Wilfrid Laurier University has experts who can speak about discrimination against 2SLGBTQ+ communities, community health and related topics. Read about how Laurier is celebrating Pride Month.

Jeffrey P. Aguinaldo, associate professor of Sociology, is an expert in gay men’s health and HIV/AIDS. His research looks at the intersection of health, society and interaction. Aguinaldo’s current focus includes the HIV, Health, and Interaction Study, which seeks to understand how assumptions about HIV infuse everyday conversations and can negatively impact people with HIV/AIDS. Contact: jaguinaldo@wlu.ca

Todd Coleman is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences. He is an expert on 2SLGBTQ+ community health, HIV/AIDS and sexual health. He is available to comment on the way health issues and access to health care vary based on sexual orientation and gender identities, as well as on HIV prevention and other health-related issues that affect 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Contact: tcoleman@wlu.ca

Morgan Holmes is a professor in the Department of Sociology who specializes in sexuality studies, health and social justice. She has done extensive research on treating “intersex” babies, the ethics of consent to elective surgery for minors and laws that relate to sexuality and health. Holmes is also a visiting research scholar at the University College Dublin where she gives master classes on queer ethics and the treatment of intersex minors. 

Maryam Khan is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work. She is an expert in racialized, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, specifically LGBTQ Muslims in the Global North. Khan has more than a decade of clinical and community-based experience in mental health and crisis management. Her current research focuses on improving access to health and social services for sexually and gender-diverse Muslims, as well as enhancing relations with their families. Contact: mkhan@wlu.ca

Cameron McKenzie, assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, is an expert in 2SLGBTQ+ health equity issues, 2SLGBTQ+ oppressions and Queer Liberation Theory, and 2SLGBTQ+ policies and programs. His current research examines the intersection of policies and programs that affect 2SLGBTQ+ health equity and how social movements influence health equity and policy development. McKenzie contributed to the development of Queer Liberation Theory and focuses on how this framework can support the queer movement. Contact: camckenzie@wlu.ca

Robb Travers is a professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences. He is an expert on social exclusion, health discrimination, the social determinants of HIV/AIDS, and health equity issues facing gender and sexual minorities. Prior to becoming a professor, Travers was a scientist and the director of community-based research at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. His current research focuses on 2SLGBTQ+ youth and newcomers to Canada and transgender individuals. Contact: rtravers@wlu.ca

Michael Woodford, professor in the Faculty of Social Work, is an expert on the well-being of 2SLGBTQ+ youth and issues of campus climate. His research explores the effects of bullying and social exclusion on members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, their experiences on post-secondary campuses, subtle microaggressions and other forms of discrimination that can increase their risk for poor mental health. Woodford is leading the Thriving on Campus Study, a province-wide survey exploring the experiences, mental health and academic success of 2SLGBTQ+ university students in Ontario. Contact: mwoodford@wlu.ca