United Way Perth Huron's Social Research and Planning Council and the University of Guelph are currently running a survey to collect data from the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Kristin Crane, Director Community Impact and Research, says the survey came about because of an awareness of discrimination that still occurs towards people in the 2SLGBTQ+ population.
"We started to discuss that this was a potential next topic of research for our community and greater discussions led us towards defining this as our research project for the year," Crane stated. "We've also been hearing from a variety of services from across human sectors, whether that's social services, the healthcare sector, that there's an opportunity to serve our population better."
Crane adds they're aware of cases of hate crimes and discrimination, as well as other issues. She says the purpose of the survey is to collect data so they can know how and where to improve things.
"So we wanted to have some solid data around this to be able to recommend to both funders or government partners or the service providers themselves what it is that we could do to improve the quality of life for all our community members," added Crane.
The survey is also asking for input from another source.
"We're also asking those who are providing the services what they're thinking, as well. What they're hearing, what they're noticing, what are some of the barriers for them? Or what is working well, so we can share this with the community," Crane noted.
The survey, done in partnership with the University of Guelph, is open until November 29 and is meant for individuals 12 and over, who are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, or who are working or volunteering with organizations providing services to 2SLGBTQ+ people.
A link to participate in the roughly 10 minute survey can be found here: https://perthhuron.unitedway.ca/research/current-initiatives/