History
Building an intersectoral network on trans-affirming practice to support sexual assault survivors
Trans communities are significantly impacted by physical and sexual violence. In Ontario, approximately 20% of trans persons report lifetime experiences of sexual and/or physical violence as a direct result of their gender identity (Bauer & Scheim, 2015). Despite this, many trans persons delay or avoid seeking the care they need due to past and/or anticipated experiences of stigmatization, discrimination, and mistreatment in healthcare settings (Bauer, Scheim, Deutsch, & Massarella, 2014). Furthermore, while most trans services and supports are located in metropolitan Toronto, a reported 68% of trans Ontarians reside outside this region (Bauer, Michelle, Todd, Matthias, Scanlon, & Travers, 2010).
There is a clear and pressing need for province-wide, intersectoral action to address the issue of sexual violence against trans persons.
Dr. Janice Du Mont of Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital collaborated with Egale Canada and the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres (SA/DVTCs) on early stages of the trans-LINK Project – a multiphase initiative devoted to the development of a provincial intersectoral network on trans-affirming practice to better support sexual assault survivors.
Between June 7 and July 11, 2019, 106 representatives from Ontario’s SA/DVTCs and trans-positive community organizations attended one of seven regional Knowledge Mobilization and Community Engagement (KM-CE) meetings held in Toronto, Mississauga, North York, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay. A primary objective of these sessions was to connect service providers across sectors and regions in the hopes of establishing longer-term referral relationships, increasing collaboration, and enhancing the continuum of care for trans survivors across the province..
Toronto - June 7, 2019
Central West, Mississauga - June 11, 2019
Central East, North York - June 19, 2019
Southwest, London - June 24, 2019
Eastern, Ottawa - June 27, 2019
Northeast, Sudbury - July 2, 2019
Northwest, Thunder Bay - July 11, 2019
References
Bauer, G., & Scheim, A. (2015). Transgender people in Ontario, Canada: Statistics to inform human rights policy. Retrieved from
http://transpulseproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Trans-PULSE-Statistics-Relevant-for-Human-Rights-Policy-June-
2015.pdf
Bauer G., Scheim A., Deutsch M., Massarella C. (2014). Reported emergency department avoidance, use, and experiences of
transgender persons in Ontario, Canada: results from a respondent-driven sampling survey. Ann Emerg Med. 2014;63(6):713-
20.e1.
Bauer, G., Michelle, B., Todd., Matthias, K., Scanlon K., Travers, R. (2010). Who are trans people in Ontario. Trans PULSE e-Bulletin 1, no. 1