New report calls for LGBTQ+ community centre, better institutional practices

A new report is making the case for an LGBTQ+ community centre in Hamilton, as well as better efforts to facilitate safety and inclusion in community and public spaces.

The report, presented Tuesday evening, was prepared by the Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton. Its primary author, Deirdre Pike, is a senior planner with the SPRC and a prominent voice of the local LGBTQ+ community.

Pike and the SPRC's primary recommendation is that the City of Hamilton conduct a feasibility study around the creation of a community hub that would offer a broad range of resources targeted at the LGBTQ+ population.

These resources would include counseling, volunteer and peer mentorship, social programs and clubs, and extensive connections to other supports.

Physical and mental health support lacking

In regard to health care, the report says, members of the LGBTQ+ community are "rarely able to find knowledgeable and respectful services for their physical health needs."

Further, sexual health services "are often ill-prepared to provide accurate information, treatment, and testing."

As far as mental health services are concerned, the report finds that there is an "acute need" for counselors with LGBTQ-specific education in Hamilton.

Recommendations in light of this are for health care providers, services for aging people, and counseling services to undertake a Positive Space campaign to ensure a more inclusive environment. In particular, it says, publicly-funded counseling services should be staffed by those with specific training in helping LGBTQ+ people.

SPRC report: improve education and visibility

Following from the premise that "professional and para-professional service providers cannot adequately respond to the needs of LGBTQ+ people without developing insight into the lived experiences of those they serve," the report recommends that:

• Public services and employers "make equity for LGBTQ+ people a strategic priority"
• LGBTQ+ issues be given greater prominence in the education of public service workers, such as emergency responders, and others
• Post-secondary institutions review and update curricula to include more material relevant to LGBTQ+ students
• and that the Hamilton public and Catholic school boards provide mandatory LGBTQ+ training to all staff

Furthermore, it says, "the potential for or threat of harassment, discrimination and/or violence is a daily reality" for Hamilton's LGBTQ+ community, and therefore, public and private institutions should be vocal in their support of it. The report suggests this will help with continued efforts in dissolving persistent social stigmas.

Organizational change across all sectors, and more resources toward research

Finally, the SPRC report recommends that, since organizations across public, non-profit and private sectors "reflect a dominant social culture that discriminates against LGBTQ+ people," institutions of all stripes should commit to "transformative" changes, such as updates to policies, mission statements, and documentation, as well as gender neutral bathrooms, and revised human resources practices.

The report says that more funding for research of this type is warranted, and that partnership with Hamilton's Arts community and the City of Hamilton will create the opportunity to archive local LGBTQ+ history, and to keep abreast of the community's needs.