Community members understood the purpose of this knowledge-gathering project in two different ways:
- to gather data about personal experiences during and after the June 2023 incident, and
- to learn about the overall 2SLGBTQIA+ climate at the University of Waterloo.
For many participants, these two lines of thought were intertwined, especially if the participants had been members of the campus community for a long time. The blending of the two narratives brings information that may not seem directly related to the June 2023 incident, but it enriches the context and allows for a broader understanding of the systemic determinants that impact 2STNBGNC+ community members’ sense of inclusion, safety, and belonging.
Some 2STNBGNC+ community members may have chosen not to participate and share their thoughts because of their past experiences with the University, the institutional responses to the events that preceded the June 2023 hate-related incident, and the overall lived experience of being a member of the 2STNBGNC+ community, which includes various types of dismissal, gaslighting, and subtle and direct abusive behaviour related to transphobia and homophobia. This position was cautiously expressed by many consultation participants, who mentioned their friends or colleagues who chose not to come to the consultations because “they knew it won’t change anything” to quote one of the community members.
The 2STNBGNC+ Community Gathering and Sharing Project addressed a highly sensitive issue that required trust not only in the project investigators, but also in the institution. According to various studies, gender-based violence, harassment, verbal abuse and other forms of human rights violations against members of the 2STNBGNC+ persons are often underreported and misreported: “data collection is often incomplete or unreliable when it comes to violent and fatal crimes against the trans community. Some victims’ deaths may go unreported or misreported, while other victims may not initially be identified as trans or gender-expansive.”
This means that even when a trans, non-binary and/or queer person reports an incident, the reported issues could be misinterpreted because existing policies do not acknowledge 2STNBGNC+ risks or the party receiving a complaint did not provide expected support. According to the “Harassment and Violence in Canadian Workplaces” Survey: “Most of the survey respondents were very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied with the responses they received from supervisors or managers, human resources, or other persons […] Respondents indicated higher levels of satisfaction with the responses they received from their union representative (21% very satisfied, 17% somewhat satisfied).”
The response to reporting abuse against trans and non-binary students and employees could be reprisals or a threat of reprisals, and a 2STNBGNC+ community member could be mistreated, wrongfully accused (victim blaming), and face administrative pressure and even accusations against them. According to the consultation participants, such situations happen on campus: trans and non-binary students and employees who call out anti-trans or gender-normative remarks have gotten in trouble for calling attention to this harmful behaviour.
Many 2STNBGNC+ people don't report discrimination against them because they do not fully understand the policy procedures and how to gather and present evidence to support their cases. Many do not know what counts as evidence that can be used in an investigation or arbitration. A large part of the 2STNBGNC+ community experiences financial constraints and cannot afford legal support when needed. For these and other reasons, many trans, non-binary and queer people do not report violations and abuses that they experience. All these issues are relevant to trans and non-binary experiences on campus and influenced community members’ decision to share their knowledge and lived experience.
