[Wamvan] Addressing Queer & Trans communities' poverty in BC

[Meenakshi Mannoe]

A major gap in research on queer and trans poverty in BC currently exists;
because of this these communities are being excluded from initiatives
trying to address poverty. So the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition is now
launching a queer and trans poverty research study.



The goal of the research project is to bring attention to this issue
through interviews with front-line service providers along with analysis of
statistics and research on queer and trans poverty across North America. If
you are aware of statistics, data and any information that may be relevant
to this research project, please e-mail jonny at bcpovertyreduction.ca or
phone 604-801-5121, x241.



If you are an advocate or representative working within queer and trans
communities in BC, and would be interested in being interviewed about the
specific poverty issues faced by these communities, please also contact
jonny at bcpovertyreduction.ca or phone 604-801-5121, x241.



We are specifically interested in hearing about the following poverty
factors:



- Welfare, income assistance and disability benefits;

- Low-wage work, employment discrimination and inadequate or unsafe working
conditions;

- Homelessness, housing affordability and housing discrimination;

- Child poverty and youth homelessness;

- Affordable early learning and childcare;

- Affordable and accessible training, apprenticeship and post-secondary
education opportunities; and

- Marginalization due to rejection from traditional family support networks.



For the purpose of this study, queer and trans are being used as umbrella
terms. Queer as the umbrella term for individuals identifying as lesbian,
gay, bisexual, two-spirit, queer, questioning, intersex, undisclosed or
non-labeling and asexual. Trans as the umbrella term for individuals who
identify as transgender, transsexual, cross-dressing, undisclosed or
non-labeling and gender-queer.



The research is designed to engage in an overview survey of queer and trans
poverty in BC. The interviews are being conducted with service providers
and community advocates to identify possible trends and to discover whether
poverty is affecting queer and trans individuals in unique ways due to
their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.



Should you have any questions or require more information regarding this
research project please contact the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition at the
information found below.



Thanks,



---------------------

Jonny Sopotiuk

BC Poverty Reduction Coalition



tel: 604-801-5121, ext 241 fax: 604-801-5122

email: jonny at bcpovertyreduction.ca



Join the Call at http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/

FaceBook: BCPovertyReductionCoalition

Twitter: @PovReductionBC



There is nothing inevitable about poverty.
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