How Can LGBTQ2 People Live Meaningfully and with Purpose?

By David Collict, Vanier Scholar and PhD Student in Clinical and Counselling Psychology at OISE | University of Toronto

*Note: this article uses the terms “LGBTQ2 community” and “queer community” interchangeably to refer to sexual and gender minority people.

I care very much about the LGBTQ2 community. I believe in supporting queer people however we can. As a gay man, and ally to other members of the community, I feel that it’s important that we consider the ways in which we can do this. We have to ask questions like; what does it mean to be a queer person in urban centers like Toronto, and more rural spaces outside of these cores? How do families best provide support to their LGBTQ2 child, parents, friend, and other loved ones? What can workplaces do to be trans-inclusive? How do we connect with other queer people and build meaningful and lasting friendships? And many more.

These questions are important, but complex. We even see this in psychological research on LGBTQ2 mental health and wellbeing. Here, psychological research on queer people has long focused on negative life experiences. The field has focused almost exclusively on why and how LGBTQ2 people have higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidality and other mental health issue and outcomes. We find that issues like non-inclusive public policies, a lack of family and social supports and queer community spaces, can all contribute to an LGBTQ2 person feeling ostracized, lonely and depressed.

But, I think we need to expand the questions we’re asking as well. Don’t get me wrong; this work is important, meaningful and it helps us decide how we can best support a marginalized community in need. But can be limited in a sense, because it defines a good life as one that doesn’t include negative mental health experiences, like anxiety or depression. What it doesn’t consider as a measure of a good life is how we define our purpose in life, whether we feel motivated towards future goals, or whether we feel we’re also living a life that is positive, resilient and feels meaningful.

Current research is beginning to move in this direction, and so this is where my research comes into play. I’ve been interested in trying to understand how we, as queer people, can live our lives in such positive ways, and what contributes to our ability to do this as well. As of March 2020, the research isn’t published, so I can’t reveal much of the information at this point. However, I will say that one of our most meaningful findings is that connecting to LGBTQ2 communities; that is other LGBTQ2-identified people, groups and physical and digital community spaces can protect against negative mental health outcomes, and foster positive ones like feeling you have some control over your environment (termed Environmental Mastery in our research), or an ability to find self-acceptance. This research is meaningful because it tells us that queer community spaces are important for many reasons, something significant in a world where LGBTQ2 spaces, like businesses in Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village, are increasingly disappearing in favour of condo towers.

If you’re in the York Region and you’re looking for LGBTQ2 resources, check out Pflag York Region and CAYR Community Connections (formerly the AIDS Committee of York Region or ACYR). Both offer some great social and peer supports for queer people of all ages.