“Like picking up a seed, but you haven’t planted it”: Queer youth analyze the It Gets Better Project

Youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer [LGBTQ] are at elevated risk of experiencing verbal and physical harassment, as well as an array of negative outcomes, including increased violence and suicidality. The purpose of this study was to solicit input from LGBTQ youth (n = 19) about the strengths, limitations, and influence of an online video project focused on suicide prevention, the It Gets Better Project [IGBP]. Using a grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted and participant responses were analyzed using ATLAS.ti.6.7. Several major themes regarding participants’ perspectives on the IGBP emerged from the analysis. Participants indicated that they perceived the IGBP as a positive start towards change, with the project drawing attention to the concerning issue of LGBTQ youth vulnerability for increased suicidality. However, they also identified flaws with the content and focus of the project, indicating the campaign requires significant further development to provide tangible resources to youth at risk of suicide. Recommendations are made and discussed to help inform future research and practice efforts.This study was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant (#491406)

Influence of Information and Communication Technologies on the Resilience and Coping of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in the United States and Canada (Project #Queery): Mixed Methods Survey

Background: Sexual and gender minority youth are a population in peril, exemplified by their disproportionate risk of negative experiences and outcomes. Sexual and gender minority youth may be particularly active users of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and it is important to identify the potential contributions of ICTs to their resilience and well-being. Objective: Our aim was to (1) investigate the use of ICTs by sexual and gender minority youth, (2) identify the ways that ICTs influence the resilience and coping of sexual and gender minority youth, focusing on promotion of well-being through self-guided support-seeking (particularly using mobile devices), (3) develop a contextually relevant theoretical conceptualization of resilience incorporating minority stress and ecological approaches, (4) generate best practices and materials that are accessible to multiple interested groups, and (5) identify whether video narratives are a viable alternative to collect qualitative responses in Web-based surveys for youth. Methods: Mixed methods, cross-sectional data (N=6309) were collected via a Web-based survey from across the United States and Canada from March-July 2016. The sample was generated using a multipronged, targeted recruitment approach using Web-based strategies and consists of self-identified English-speaking sexual and gender minority youth aged 14-29 with technological literacy sufficient to complete the Web-based survey. The survey was divided into eight sections: (1) essential demographics, (2) ICT usage, (3) health and mental health, (4) coping and resilience, (5) sexual and gender minority youth identities and engagement, (6) fandom communities, (7) nonessential demographics, and (8) a video submission (optional, n=108). The option of a 3-5 minute video submission represents a new research innovation in Web-based survey research. Results: Data collection is complete (N=6309), and analyses are ongoing. Proposed analyses include (1) structural equation modeling of quantitative data, (2) grounded theory analysis of qualitative data, and (3) an integrative, mixed methods analysis using a data transformation design. Theoretical and methodological triangulation of analyses integrates an interwoven pattern of results into a comprehensive picture of a phenomenon. Results will be reported in 2017 and 2018.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant (Grant #498466)

COVID-19 and Education Disruption in Ontario: Emerging Evidence on Impacts

From March 14, 2020, to May 15, 2021, Ontario schools have been closed for 20 weeks total, longer than any other Canadian province or territory. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant education disruption in Ontario. This has included mass and localized school closures, multiple models of educational provision and gaps in support for students with disabilities. The unequal distribution of school closures and pandemic- associated hardships, particularly affecting low-income families in which racialized and Indigenous groups, newcomers and people with disabilities are overrepresented, appear to be deepening and accelerating inequities in education outcomes, wherever data have been collected. Further, there are health risks associated with closures including significant physical, mental health and safety harms for students and children. Modelling suggests long-term impacts on students’ lifetime earnings and the national economy. There are substantial data gaps on the impact of closures on Ontario’s children. However, existing information and analysis can inform strategies to minimize further pandemic disruptions to children’s education and development. Identifying or tracking areas where students are facing the greatest challenges in the wake of COVID-19 and implementing systematic supports to address pandemic-associated educational harms are critical to minimizing the overall impact and supporting recovery

Sexuality and Sexual Agency Among Heterosexual Black Men in Toronto: Tradition, Contradiction, and Emergent Possibilities in the Context of HIV and Health

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.This article critically examines common understandings of sexuality and sexual agency among heterosexual Black men in Toronto. The findings are based on focus groups and in-depth interviews conducted for the qualitative arm of the broader weSpeak project, a mixed-methods study designed to engage and support heterosexual Black men in Ontario, Canada, in living more holistically healthy lives. Focus groups and in-depth interviews with 69 self-identified heterosexual Black men focused on vulnerability and resilience to HIV, but participants also shared their complex experiences and perspectives related to sexuality and sexual agency, especially in the context of systemic and structural conditions that affect their wellbeing. This article provides excerpts from their narratives to illustrate the complexities and emergent possibilities related to sexuality and sexual agency among heterosexual Black men, which may open up new ways of approaching HIV prevention and health promotion.The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (TE2-138354) and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (1052) jointly funded the weSpeak research project through a team grant in boys’ and men’s health. Neither funder is responsible for the ideas expressed in the paper