“We are collaborating with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council to help influence policy at a local level and to help us disseminate our findings.
Todd Coleman
Todd Coleman is an assistant professor of Health Sciences. His research is focused on population health and research methods. Coleman also explores health issues as they differ according to sexual orientation and gender identities.
“As someone who counts themselves as part of the broader LGBTQ2S+ community, I became aware early on of the differences in health outcomes depending on your identity. That became a driver for me to find out what we can do to change that.
“I was a collaborator on the OutLook Study and one of the findings that stood out was the notable differences in victimization between cisgender and trans individuals. On average, trans people felt higher levels of victimization and lower levels of safety.
“There is a concept we’re exploring called ‘anticipated discrimination.’ Some trans people are anxious about interacting and visiting places that most cisgender people take for granted. Fifty-seven per cent of trans respondents in the OutLook Study avoided public washrooms. Eighty-three per cent felt unsafe at gyms. Seventy-three per cent felt unsafe in medical offices, including their doctor’s office.
“We just wrapped data collection for a qualitative study looking in more depth at the discrimination that trans and non-binary individuals experience in the Waterloo Region. We are collaborating with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council to help influence policy at a local level and to help us disseminate our findings.
“The more research on these topics that takes place, the more people become familiar with concepts and the health disparities that exist. We are encouraging more education for health-care providers so they understand the nuanced differences between patients and how to treat them effectively and respectfully.”
https://www.wlu.ca/news/spotlights/2020/june/pride-month-research.html#todd-coleman