L E Ro
Biographic Data
| ID | 1297 |
|---|---|
| NAME | L E Ro |
| GIVEN NAMES | L E |
| FAMILY NAME | Ro |
| SIGNATURE | RO L E |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6105-1448 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 75 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 297 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 75 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Wrong kind of queer
Interrogating the Effects of Technologies of Pregnancy Surveillance on Queer, Trans and Nonbinary Midwifery Service‐Users
Queer, transgender and nonbinary (QTNB) people access midwifery services, yet little is known about their experiences of midwifery care. Our qualitative study used critical narrative inquiry to examine how QTNB midwifery service‐users in Ontario, Canada, experience cisheteronormativity in healthcare. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with 14 participants, our analysis examines the effects of biomedicalisation on QTNB people who navigate these system…
The Impact of a Disability Financial Support Program on Employment Experiences Within Work Integration Social Enterprises in Ontario, Canada
Many individuals with psychiatric disabilities employed by work integration social enterprises (WISEs) rely on disability financial supports to supplement their income. However, little research has investigated the interconnections between WISE, disability support, and psychiatric disability. We draw on data from a qualitative study of employees, supervisors and administrators from seven WISEs in Ontario, Canada, to determine: (a) how does receip…
Improving LGBT Labor Market Outcomes Through Laws, Workplace Policies, and Support Programs
SLGBTQ+ competent trauma-informed care
We found that novel interventions to engage service providers in providing 2SLGBTQ+ competent TIC are impactful and merit further development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Social participation of the older sexual minority population
Despite the growing ageing population in Canada, limited efforts have been made to understand the role of ageing in sexual minority research. The term sexual minority refers to people that do not identify as heterosexual regarding their sexual orientation. In order to examine the role of social factors in sexual minority ageing, the study utilised the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) baseline data to compare social participation rates …
How can you worry about employment and survival at the same time
This study addresses a gap in the labour market and occupational health literatures among sexual and gender minority workers by exploring the relationship between precarious employment and mental health through a political economy framework. Narratives from 20 cisgender and transgender sexual minority men were analysed to uncover the production of employment and mental health inequities. Results are presented temporally, including employment read…
Queer Tax
Sexual orientation and cognition in aging populations
The current study utilized the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data to investigate the relationship between sexual orientation and cognitive health of the aging population. Cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency were examined as outcome variables in the study. A total of 45,993 respondents were included in the analyses. Each model had social support or social participation as a mediator. A series of mediation analysis, stratified by…
Social Enterprise as a Pathway to Work, Wellness and Social Inclusion for Canadians with Mental Illnesses and/or Substance-Use Disorders’
People with serious and persistent mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders are among the most economically and socially disenfranchised populations in Canada, and often present with long histories of labour market detachment and underemployment. Work engagement has the potential to improve social determinants of health while also harnessing productive capacity. This article reports on a five-year study examining the social, economic, and …
Precarious Employment
Detransition Narratives Trouble the Simple Attribution of Madness in Transantagonistic Contexts
Job quality and precarious employment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers
Inequities in job quality among sexual minorities persist despite comprehensive human rights protections in Canada. These inequities are pervasive, extending well beyond conventional indicators such as dollars earned and hours worked. Multi-pronged interventions are needed that move beyond simply ensuring that sexual minority workers are employed. Sexual minority workers deserve access to secure, well-paid work with benefits where they can foster…
I will play this tokenistic game, I just want something useful for my community’
Hiring peer researchers – individuals with lived experience of the phenomenon under study – is an increasingly popular practice. However, little research has examined experiences of peer research from the perspectives of peer researchers themselves. In this paper, we report on data from a participatory, qualitative research project focused on four intersecting communities often engaged in peer research: mental health service user/consumer/survivo…
A typology of pathways to detransition
A Structural Analysis of Gender-Based Violence and Depression in the Lives of Sexual Minority Women and Trans People
This article explores structural mechanisms that are the context for violence and depression in the lives of sexual minority women and trans people in Ontario, Canada. The article draws on interviews with 14 people who reported experiences of depression in the previous year, foregrounding three representative narratives. Narrative and case study analysis reveal that violence is a repeated and cumulative experience over lifetimes, occurring across…
This is the System We Live in
Introduction This article reports on qualitative research findings from the first study to examine 2SLGBTQ+ populations’ experiences with social assistance (SocA) in Ontario, the most populous province in Canada. Using a relational poverty and intersectional framework, the role of the SocA system in producing and sustaining 2SLGBTQ+ poverty is articulated by exploring 2SLGBTQ+ encounters with SocA and inter-related systems. Methods This qualitati…
Preventable mortality among sexual minority Canadians
Preventable mortality was elevated for SM Canadians compared to heterosexuals. Early and broad access to sexual minority-affirming primary and preventive healthcare should be expanded
Development and implementation of a 2SLGBTQ+ competent trauma-informed care intervention
Introduction: 2SLGBTQ+ people are more likely than their heterosexual and/or cisgender peers to experience violence and/or trauma in their lifetime. Many 2SLGBTQ+ people may need support related to experiences of violence and/or trauma. Yet, research has shown that a lack of 2SLGBTQ+ competence and capacity from service providers has resulted in barriers for 2SLGBTQ+ people accessing health and social services. This intervention seeks to fill an …
Pronouns Are a Public Health Issue
You Could Tell I Said the Wrong Things
Older gay men commonly conceal their sexual identity in healthcare settings due to past experiences and expectations of encountering stigma and discrimination in these contexts. Although insights on how older gay men construct their sexual identity in healthcare may help contextualize this phenomenon, this question remains under-explored. Accordingly, we present the findings of a secondary grounded theory analysis of individual interview data, wh…
They Haven't Made a Slot for Us Yet
In this paper, we present the findings of a qualitative study aimed at conceptualizing the service needs of aging gay men living with HIV (GMLH). Our analysis is based on interview data from 16 gay-identified men living with HIV, ages 50 and over. Drawing on a framework of intersectionality, which theoretically accounts for interlocking expressions of marginalization in groups affected by multiple systems of oppression, we highlight the practical…
Scaling Up Information Sharing on HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder
Although the majority of specialists and researchers in the field of HIV/AIDS are aware and knowledgeable about HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) as a condition that affects as much as 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), research has documented that many health care and service providers who work directly with PLWH are either unaware of HAND or believe they do not know enough information about HAND to effectively support their …
Poverty in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, and Other Sexual and Gender Minority (LGBTQ2S+) Communities in Canada
In this article, we draw on a recent review of the Canadian literature on poverty in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ2S+) communities to conceptualize social work interventions that may be used to address material inequities among these groups. Our literature review, which was based on a total of 39 works, revealed distinctive expressions of poverty among younger and older LGBTQ2S…
Resisting Unmet Expectations as Service User Ethics
This paper takes up a call from activists and scholars in Mad and Disability Studies to pay more explicit attention to resistance. Drawing on conceptualizations of predictive, normative, and ideal expectations, we describe three ways 2SLGBTQ service users who have experienced psychosis resist unmet expectations of just treatment. These include: (1) defending self-respect through resistant thinking and resentment; (2) reducing discrepancy through …
Men’s Sexual Orientation and Health in Canada
Perceived Determinants of Mental Health for Bisexual People
Objectives. We examined the determinants of mental health, as perceived by bisexual people, in order to begin understanding the disparities in the rates of mental health problems reported by bisexual people versus those reported by heterosexual people, and, in many studies, gay men and lesbians. Methods. Our community-based participatory action research project comprised focus groups and semistructured interviews with 55 bisexual people across th…
Bisexuality, poverty and mental health
Bisexuality is consistently associated with poor mental health outcomes. In population-based data, this is partially explained by income differences between bisexual people and lesbian, gay, and/or heterosexual individuals. However, the interrelationships between bisexuality, poverty, and mental health are poorly understood. In this paper, we examine the relationships between these variables using a mixed methods study of 302 adult bisexuals from…
Bisexual People’s Experiences with Mental Health Services
Identity work among street-involved young mothers
The Youth Pathways Project tracked the life-course trajectories of street-involved young women (n=75) in Toronto over a one-year period. At first contact, 60% of these women had been pregnant, and 29% of those had children. In the interim leading up to the final interview 12 months later, five participants became pregnant and five had given birth. This paper examines the narratives of these 10 recently pregnant and/or newly parenting young women.…
"Preventing transition "regret
When a person openly "regrets" their gender transition or "detransitions" this bolsters within the medical community an impression that transgender and non-binary (trans) people require close scrutiny when seeking hormonal and surgical interventions. Despite the low prevalence of "regretful" patient experiences, and scant empirical research on "detransition", these rare transition outcomes profoundly organize the gender-affirming medical care ent…
Can Talking About Oppression Reduce Depression
Research has demonstrated that rates of depression are elevated among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people as a result of social stigmatization. However, few studies have investigated interventions which address the proposed causes of depression for LGBT people (i.e., internalized and external oppression). This study tested a cognitive behavioural therapy-based group intervention for LGBT people living with depression, which was d…
Exploring gender and sexual minority status among street-involved youth
This article compares heterosexual and sexual minority street-involved youth across a number of sociodemographic, risk and current mental health, victimization and delinquency measures with a particular focus on gender differences. The sample consists of 147 homeless and street-involved young men and women aged 16–21 years in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bivariate analyses indicate that many of the differences between the heterosexual and sexual min…
The Political Economy of Peer Research
Participatory research, or the practice of involving ‘peers’ with lived experience, has become popular in social work. Peer engagement is lauded for: ‘democratising’ the research process; providing ‘capacity building’ and facilitating opportunities to co-produce knowledge. Yet, these claims are rarely evaluated by empirical investigations into the socio-material work conditions of peer researchers. Here we present findings of a study that examine…
Social Network Analysis
A quantitative approach to social network analysis involves the application of mathematical and statistical techniques and graphical presentation of results. Nonetheless—as with all sciences—subjectivity is an integral aspect of network analysis, manifested in the selection of measures to describe connection patterns and actors’ positions (e.g., choosing a centrality indicator), in the visualization of social structure in graphs, and in translati…
Characterizing non-monosexual women at risk for poor mental health outcomes
Measuring dimensions of bisexual identity
Across Serostatus
The transition to adoptive parenthood
Poverty in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, and Other Sexual and Gender Minority (LGBTQ2S+) Communities in Canada
In this article, we draw on a recent review of the Canadian literature on poverty in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ2S+) communities to conceptualize social work interventions that may be used to address material inequities among these groups. Our literature review, which was based on a total of 39 works, revealed distinctive expressions of poverty among younger and older LGBTQ2S…
Representation and erasure of bisexual people of color
A typology of pathways to detransition
You Could Tell I Said the Wrong Things
Older gay men commonly conceal their sexual identity in healthcare settings due to past experiences and expectations of encountering stigma and discrimination in these contexts. Although insights on how older gay men construct their sexual identity in healthcare may help contextualize this phenomenon, this question remains under-explored. Accordingly, we present the findings of a secondary grounded theory analysis of individual interview data, wh…
Poverty in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+) populations in Canada
Despite the prominence of poverty in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, and other sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ2S+) in Canada, studies that centre the material conditions of these groups as sites of inquiry remain scant. Accordingly, in this paper we present an intersectional narrative review of the limited Canadian literature on LGBTQ2S+ poverty. We examine 39 studies, published between 2000 and 2018, that report Canad…
Sexual health among young bisexual women
Young bisexual women experience health disparities related to sexual health, yet there is comparatively little research that addresses which specific factors drive these disparities. The current study investigates young bisexual women’s perspective of their sexual health in order to address this gap. We conducted a community-based qualitative study in Canada, which included four two-hour focus group sessions with 35 bisexual women (broadly define…
Depression and discrimination in the lives of women, transgender and gender liminal people in Ontario, Canada
This article uses an intersectionality lens to explore how experiences of race, gender, sexuality, class and their intersections are associated with depression and unmet need for mental healthcare in a population of 704 women and transgender/gender liminal people from Ontario, Canada. A survey collecting demographic information, information about mental health and use of mental healthcare services, and data for the Everyday Discrimination Scale a…
Gender and sexual minorities
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the use of intersectionality theory in research with gender and sexual minorities – that is, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people, and lesser-studied groups such as two-spirited people. Design/methodology/approach – First, the paper note the limited way that LGBTQ research has taken up issues of intersecting oppression. The paper outlines why theoretical and methodological …
Policy, Practice, and Personal Narratives
In 2000, the Ontario Child and Family Services Act was amended to permit same-sex adoption. The goal of our research was to examine whether this legislative change has translated into increased access to adoption for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Forty-three LGBTQ individuals/couples who had either adopted successfully or were approved for adoption since 2000 completed a narrative interview. In this paper, we will draw …
Lesbian and queer mothers navigating the adoption system
Increasing numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) people are choosing to parent through adoption. The minimal research available, focused particularly on lesbian and gay adoptive parents, suggests they face significant barriers to adoption (including being held to a higher standard than heterosexual adoptive parents), homophobia from child welfare professionals, and limited social support post-adoption. The…
Precarious Employment
Can Talking About Oppression Reduce Depression
Research has demonstrated that rates of depression are elevated among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people as a result of social stigmatization. However, few studies have investigated interventions which address the proposed causes of depression for LGBT people (i.e., internalized and external oppression). This study tested a cognitive behavioural therapy-based group intervention for LGBT people living with depression, which was d…
Lesbian and queer mothers navigating the adoption system
Increasing numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) people are choosing to parent through adoption. The minimal research available, focused particularly on lesbian and gay adoptive parents, suggests they face significant barriers to adoption (including being held to a higher standard than heterosexual adoptive parents), homophobia from child welfare professionals, and limited social support post-adoption. The…
Women's Sexual Orientation and Health
The current study sought to determine whether health status and health risk behaviors of Canadian women varied based on sexual identity. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Community Health Survey: cycle 2.1, a national population-based survey designed to gather health data on a representative sample of over 135,000 Canadians including 354 lesbian respondents, 424 bisexual women respondents, and 60,937 heterosexual women…
Promoting LGBT health and wellbeing through inclusive policy development
In this paper we argue the importance of including gender and sexually diverse populations in policy development towards a more inclusive form of health promotion. We emphasize the need to address the broad health and wellbeing issues and needs of LGBT people, rather than exclusively using an illness-based focus such as HIV/AIDS. We critically examine the limitations of population health, the social determinants of health (SDOH), and public healt…
Identity work among street-involved young mothers
The Youth Pathways Project tracked the life-course trajectories of street-involved young women (n=75) in Toronto over a one-year period. At first contact, 60% of these women had been pregnant, and 29% of those had children. In the interim leading up to the final interview 12 months later, five participants became pregnant and five had given birth. This paper examines the narratives of these 10 recently pregnant and/or newly parenting young women.…
Policy, Practice, and Personal Narratives
In 2000, the Ontario Child and Family Services Act was amended to permit same-sex adoption. The goal of our research was to examine whether this legislative change has translated into increased access to adoption for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Forty-three LGBTQ individuals/couples who had either adopted successfully or were approved for adoption since 2000 completed a narrative interview. In this paper, we will draw …
Policy and Practice Regarding Adoption by Sexual and Gender Minority People in Ontario
In 2000, changes to the Ontario Child and Family Services Act made it possible for lesbian and gay couples to jointly adopt a child. This research investigated the extent to which Ontario adoption agencies and licensees are supportive of adoption by sexual and gender minority people. Results indicate that while overall, there is support for sexual and gender minority adopters in Ontario, disparities exist on the basis of agency type (public vs. p…
Adaptation to Parenthood During the Post-Adoption Period
Substantial research has been conducted on new parents’ adjustment during the transition to biological parenthood. However, very little is known about adjustment experiences during the transition to adoptive parenthood. Such information could assist in creating support systems for adoptive parents similar to those that currently exist for biological parents. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine individual and relational adjustm…
The transition to adoptive parenthood
Perceived Determinants of Mental Health for Bisexual People
Objectives. We examined the determinants of mental health, as perceived by bisexual people, in order to begin understanding the disparities in the rates of mental health problems reported by bisexual people versus those reported by heterosexual people, and, in many studies, gay men and lesbians. Methods. Our community-based participatory action research project comprised focus groups and semistructured interviews with 55 bisexual people across th…
Bisexual People’s Experiences with Mental Health Services
Men’s Sexual Orientation and Health in Canada
Postpartum Depression Among Rural Women From Developed and Developing Countries
Exploring gender and sexual minority status among street-involved youth
This article compares heterosexual and sexual minority street-involved youth across a number of sociodemographic, risk and current mental health, victimization and delinquency measures with a particular focus on gender differences. The sample consists of 147 homeless and street-involved young men and women aged 16–21 years in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bivariate analyses indicate that many of the differences between the heterosexual and sexual min…
Current Practices and Barriers to the Provision of Post-Placement Support
Research investigating the practices of and barriers to provision of post-placement adoption support is sparse and has primarily focused on the perspectives of adoptive parents. This pilot study aims to contribute to this limited literature by investigating current practices and barriers from the perspective of adoption professionals. Eighteen adoption workers from two public adoption agencies in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, participated in two focu…
“I Don't Want to Turn Totally Invisible”
Almost no research has examined the parenting experiences of bisexual people. In this mixed-methods study, sexual minority women (N = 64) who were currently trying to conceive, pregnant, or parenting an infant completed standardized questionnaires to assess mental health, social support, and other variables. Fourteen participants identified as bisexual, and 14 reported sexual activity with men in the past 5 years (there was incomplete overlap bet…
Unique Issues Bisexual People Face in Intimate Relationships
Bisexuality is associated with worse mental health than both heterosexuality and homosexuality on a range of outcomes. Healthy relationships extend a protective effect on one's mental health, but little research has explored the issues faced by bisexuals in developing and maintaining intimate relationships. This study uses qualitative methodology to identify some of these issues. The results show that bisexual people in intimate relationships hav…
(W)righting women
This paper examines the interpretative nature of psychiatry in relation to gender, sexuality and race within the particular time and place of one urban, Canadian, clinical psychiatric setting. We bring women's psychiatric inpatient charts and a critical feminist perspective into dialogue in an effort to focus on gender, sexuality and race in psychiatric narratives on women's madness. The research used a qualitative, retrospective research design …
The Impact of Maternal Depression During Pregnancy on Perinatal Outcomes
OBJECTIVE: Depression often remains undertreated during pregnancy and there is growing evidence that untoward perinatal outcomes can result. Our systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal and infant outcomes. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from their start dates to June 2010. Keywords utilized included depressiv…
Culture and Postpartum Mood Problems
Purpose: Few studies have examined the role of culture in a woman’s experience of postpartum mood problems (PPMP). This study explored differences and similarities in experiences of PPMP between first- and second-generation Canadian women. Design: In this exploratory qualitative study, we interviewed nine first-generation and eight second-generation women who were clients of the Women’s Health Centre at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, Cana…
Celebrating the “Other” Parent
Lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) nonbirth parents have a unique role in the parenting spectrum. The term nonbirth parent refers to the expecting, nonpregnant partner. Previous work suggests that there are unique mental health stressors for LBQ nonbirth parents; however, research addressing this topic is scant. This qualitative study explored the factors that affect mental health and wellness in LBQ nonbirth parents during pregnancy. Results are…
Gender and sexual minorities
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the use of intersectionality theory in research with gender and sexual minorities – that is, with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people, and lesser-studied groups such as two-spirited people. Design/methodology/approach – First, the paper note the limited way that LGBTQ research has taken up issues of intersecting oppression. The paper outlines why theoretical and methodological …
Measuring dimensions of bisexual identity
Using interactive theatre to help fertility providers better understand sexual and gender minority patients
In comparison with traditional forms of KTE, interactive theatre may be particularly effective in engaging service providers and addressing their attitudes towards marginalised patient populations. Although the evaluation results of our interactive workshop were mostly positive, the long-term impact of the workshop is unknown. Long-term evaluations are needed to determine the effectiveness of arts-based KTE efforts. Other considerations for devel…
Laboring to Mother in the Context of Past Trauma
The occurrence of interpersonal trauma is a reality for many women, with effects that often persist long after the traumatic events end. The purpose of this feminist grounded theory study was to examine how past trauma shaped the lives of women as they became new mothers. We recruited a purposive sample of 32 women from two Canadian communities and conducted semistructured, dialogic interviews during the second trimester of pregnancy. We analyzed…
Psychology (59 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (48 works) · Sociology (46 works) · Social Psychology (37 works) · Political science (29 works) · Medicine (28 works) · Psychiatry (27 works) · Social Psychology (27 works) · Gender Studies (26 works) · Mental health (23 works)