OutLook Study


Welcome and thank you for your interest in the OutLook Study! Presently, our survey portion of the project has finished. We are currently seeking funding for various and future phases of the project, but for now we are working diligently on producing various fact sheets that highlight key study findings.

We would like to thank everyone who filled out the survey and those who helped us give voice to those who are usually silenced. We recognize the importance of these data, so we will update this page periodically with results below as they become available. To learn more about the OutLook Study, please see a more detailed backgrounder here.

Fact Sheets:

Experiences of LGBTQ2S High School Students in Waterloo Region (PDF)

For this fact sheet, the Outlook team collaborated with the Waterloo Region District School Board to provide a snapshot of the experiences of LGBTQ2S high school students who participated in Outlook. We hope this information is helpful in improving the experiences of LGBTQ2S students in schools.

Experiences of Trans People in Waterloo Region (PDF)

For this fact sheet, OutLook worked in collaboration with local trans community members from OK2BME, ACCKWA, and Wilfrid Laurier University who strive to increase the wellbeing of trans people in Waterloo Region.

Experiences of LGBTQ Newcomers in Waterloo Region (PDF)

For this fact sheet, OutLook worked in collaboration with the Solidarity Alliance, a Rainbow Community Council (RCC) working group.

The Solidarity Alliance is an innovative partnership between local agencies committed to increasing safe access to services for LGBTQ immgrants and refugees in Waterloo Region.

Victimization and Community Safety Among LGBTQ People in Waterloo Region (PDF)

For this fact sheet, OutLook worked in collaboration with Breaking the Silence, a Rainbow Community Council (RCC) working group concerned with hate crimes, violence, and feelings of safety experienced by Waterloo Region’s LGBTQ community members.

Presentations:

Presentation for the City of Kitchener’s Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee (PDF)

Copies of slides presented at the August 3, 2017 meeting of the City of Kitchener’s Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee.

Reports:

Shifting Our OutLook Symposium Report (PDF)

This report provides a summary of the data presented and topics discussed during the “Shifting our OutLook” Symposium, held in October 2018. The hope is that this report will provide symposium attendees a summary of the event and support further discussions that benefit the LGBTQ community within the Waterloo Region. This document is also outlines recommendations aligned with the mandate of the RCC as it endeavours to address health and well-being issues facing the LGBTQ community through community collaboration.

The OutLook Study: Men Who Have Sex With Men (PDF)

This report is part of the larger “OutLook Study” which was designed to learn more about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2S) people in Waterloo Region. Part of the OutLook study included a survey section to learn about the sexual health of Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) and strategies to prevent HIV and STIs in this community; it was designed after a previous “Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Waterloo Region Situational Assessment” from 2013 as this population has been identified as having unique health risks and needs. This report provides information about Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in Waterloo Region including information regarding socio-demographics, sexual behaviour, HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) status, and health seeking behaviours.