Laurier expert alert: Pride Month

May 30, 2023
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — Each June, Pride Month recognizes and honours the experiences and history of Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus other ways people self-identify, to celebrate the positive impacts 2SLGBTQQIA+ people have made in their communities and around the world. 

Wilfrid Laurier University experts are available to speak about the contributions of 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals and communities, discrimination against 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities, community health and related topics. Visit wlu.ca to learn more about how Laurier is celebrating Pride Month.

Learn more about how Laurier is celebrating Pride Month.

The following list includes Laurier experts who are available to speak at this time but does not represent the full breadth of expertise at the institution. For a more comprehensive inventory of Laurier’s faculty researchers, please consult the Experts at Laurier database. 

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, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences, 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 HIV prevention and other health-related issues that affect 2SLGBTQ+ communities. Contact: tcoleman@wlu.ca

Percy Lezard, assistant professor of Indigenous Studies, is an expert in Indigenous knowledge, two-spirit pedagogies, community Indigenous health, missing and murdered women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, and gender-based violence in 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities. Lezard is outma sqilxw of the Penticton Indian Band in B.C. and centres Indigenous knowledge, teaching and research methodologies in their work. They are a survivor of the multi-generational impacts of the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop. Read more about Lezard’s work. Contact: plezard@wlu.ca

Cameron McKenzie, assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, is an expert in 2SLGBTQ+ oppression, health equity, and government 2SLGBTQ+ policies and programs. His current research examines the potential of a liberationist social movement, guided by an emerging Queer Liberation Theory, to influence policy and support the queer movement. Contact: camckenzie@wlu.ca 

Robb Travers, professor and chair of the Department of Health Sciences, 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 the post-secondary campus climate 2SLGBTQ+ students face. His research explores the effects of bullying and social exclusion on members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community; 2SLGBTQ+ experiences on post-secondary campuses; subtle microaggressions and other forms of discrimination that can increase the risk for poor mental health and other negative outcomes; and factors that can promote resilience and well-being. Woodford is leading the Thriving on Campus Study, a province-wide study exploring the experiences, mental health and academic success of 2SLGBTQ+ university students throughout Ontario. Contact: mwoodford@wlu.ca