Webinar: May 23, 2023
Time: 12- 1 PM Pacific time
Connections between transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people are filled with potential. Despite the presence of peer support in TGD communities for generations, its exchange between TGD people – along with its power to promote resilience – have been under-researched in academic scholarship. We are a group of researchers affiliated with the University of British Columbia’s School of Social Work, and are pursuing trans-led research on experiences of peer support among TGD people. In this webinar, we will draw on insights from our qualitative study in which we held one-to-one interviews with 35 TGD individuals who experienced seeking, receiving, and/or providing peer support. Our findings illuminate the vital role of peer support in fostering resilience against intersecting oppressions such as transphobia, racism, and ableism, promoting wellbeing, and its potential to engender conditions where TGD people thrive. Centering practical applications, we offer recommendations for practitioners, advocates, and policymakers on leveraging these findings to improve health and social care for TGD people. These include strategies for identifying existing peer support resources, empowering TGD-identified care providers through inclusive organizational policies, and highlighting the importance of active and emerging community spaces where peer connections flourish.
A Zoom link will be e-mailed to registered participants 24 hours beforehand. Please note that the webinar will be recorded and the recording will be shared after the event. Participants can keep their cameras turned off during the webinar if they prefer to do so.