OUTNiagara has launched a survey to better understand the needs of the region's gender and sexually diverse community.
The survey will delve into participants' needs, priorities, and recommendations while also examining the strengths of the region.
Project Coordinator Laura Ip says the survey may be considered lengthier than other surveys participants may have contributed to in the past, but compensation is available.
"There is a $20 honorarium for completing the survey. People have the option to accept the honoraria and it will be paid to them by etransfer, they can waive the honoraria and be entered into a draw for an iPad. They can waive both of those."
The survey can be completed anonymously. "Myself and my co-worker Kerry, we will not be reviewing the survey responses at all. That is in part to ensure confidentiality, anonymity, that sort of thing, because - it's not going to happen with many of them, but there might be responses were, 'Oh! I know exactly who that email address belongs to.'" Instead, consultants from outside the region will be compiling the data.
OUTNiagara is hoping to collect responses from gender and sexually diverse community members, service providers, and family members. "We also have a checkbox for people who are family members and allies. We were very particular about that because we do know that we do see some youth who come out to the family, the family is not accepting and may even kick the youth out of the home, that sort of thing. We're not looking for people who are not interested in the best interest of 2SLGBTQQIA+ folks to complete the survey."
Responses will be collected until September 10th. The survey is available at OutNiagara.org/survey
Funding for this project is being provided through Women and Gender Equality Canada.