Together in
Vaudreuil-Soulanges!

In 2019, the West Island LGBTQ2+ Centre and the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges partnered together in the hopes of creating an LGBTQ2+ resource to serve the growing Vaudreuil-Soulanges community. This project was designed to create a resource for the region with the unique needs of th ecommunity in mind.

Programs

In December 2021, LGBTQ2+ Vaudreuil-Soulanges launched its first program, a weekly meeting for LGBTQ2+ youth (ages 13 to 20). Currently the meetings are being held on Zoom, but we hope to start incorporating in-person meetings in the near future.

Context  / The Why:

With a territory spanning 23 municipalities, and a rapidly growing population, Vaudreuil-Soulanges is seeing a growing demand for diverse community services to support their population. It is important that theses kinds of services exist locally, as many residents in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, a territory west of Montreal, lack easy access to the services present in the urban center Montreal. It is also important that these services are designed in a way that take into account the unique demographic and geographic profile of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, including language, age, and points of contact.

For LGBTQ2+ people, having access to LGBTQ2+ specific services is essential to support them and their wellbeing. LGBTQ2+ organizations are the primary source of support for many individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or any other of the many sexualities and gender identities that exist. These organizations are also some of the main voices in terms of LGBTQ2+ advocacy and community education.  

While knowledge of and awareness surrounding LGBTQ2+ identities has increased significantly in recent years, support for LGBTQ2+ people has not increased proportionately. This is contributing to a crisis for LGBTQ2+ people, as more people have the understanding and capacity to identify as any one of many sexualities and/or gender identities, while existing in a society that remains hostile towards LGBTQ2+ people. This crisis is also disproportionately felt by LGBTQ2+ people living in rural and suburban regions, as they lack access to many of the resources tailored specifically for the LGBTQ2+ community, nor established LGBTQ2+ communities that exist in urban centres.

Organizations like LGBTQ2+ Vaudreuil-Soulanges are responsible not just for providing a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ2+ youth to express themselves openly, but also help to foster supportive communities and personal wellbeing. Studies have shown that having access to LGBTQ2+ spaces and services have a significant positive impact on the lives of youth who identify as part of the LGBTQ2+ community. This includes a net increase in levels of community engagement and social cohesion, and a decrease in rates and severities of various mental health, physical health, and social health challenges.