Alberta 2S/LGBTQ+ Connection: A Zine by and for Rural Folks
Life for rural and queer trans folks can often feel isolating.
ural life can make connection more difficult, and rural 2S/LGBTQIA+ folks are more vulnerable to isolation if they cannot form connections with their surrounding community. This can worsen other aspects of mental health and overall well-being.
In 2021-2022, Do You Mind? focused on the mental health of queer and trans folks living in rural areas or who have rural backgrounds because they often lack access to mental health services. Through a series of workshops and submissions from rural community members, the zine Alberta 2S/LGBTQ+ Connection: A Zine by and for Rural Folks was made. The zine features art and writings from rural queer and trans folks across our province.
Throughout the zine, submissions of writing, poetry, and art explore the meaning of gender and sexual identity in rural spaces and in people with rural backgrounds. The entries explore a diversity of 2S/LGBTQIA+ experiences, the ups and downs, and the ways in which the creators find comfort, meaning, love and joy.
[View and Download Here]
Alberta 2S/LGBTQ+ Connection: A Zine by and for Rural Folks is a collaboration between Do You Mind? staff from the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) and the QTHC. Do You Mind? is an Alberta-based HEAL program that builds individual and community capacity to respond to community mental health challenges through health promotion strategies developed by and for 2S/LGBTQIA+ people. Through an intersectional lens, participants engage with a number of sessions focused on 2S/LGBTQIA+ mental health and community-based health promotion.
You can learn more about the Do You Mind? programhere. If you seek support for your own mental health, below are some 2S/LGBTQIA+ friendly mental health resources you can access.
Trans Lifeline
Telephone (24/7): 1-877-330-6366
www.translifeline.org
Canadian Mental Health Association
Edmonton Region 24/7 Distress Line: 780-482-HELP (4357)
Rural Distress Line: 1-800-232-7289
Brite Line
Telephone (24/7): 1-844-702-7483
www.briteline.ca
Kids Help Phone
Telephone (24/7): 1-800-668-6868
Text “CONNECT” to 686868
www.kidshelpphone.ca
