Laurentian's Gender and Sexuality Diversity Committee pushes for more supports

Laurentian University says it is working to make its campus a safer space for students who identify as LGBT.

During the school's first Pride March on Monday, students said they don't feel supported by the school, particularly when they're in a crisis.

Joël Dickinson is the chair of the psychology department and is a member of the school's Gender and Sexuality Diversity Committee.

She says she agrees that LGBT students need more resources.

Dickinson says the group has been pushing to get a social worker hired for the LU Pride centre and the Women's Centre.

"When someone is in crisis and it has something to do with their sexuality or their gender that's usually one of the first places they'll go. And those right now, we only have students working in those offices," she said.

"So we've asked Laurentian to hire a social worker to be present there."

More work needed

In 2011, the group took a survey on campus which found only 17 per cent of LGBT students on campus were out on campus, saying they didn't feel like the university was a safe place.

A new survey was done last year and found numbers had doubled to more than 30 per cent of LGBT students feeling safe to come out.

Dickinson says she acknowledges many post secondary schools across Canada are struggling to provide mental health resources.

"First of all for the LGBT community there's determinants of health, there's higher rates of addiction, of mental health issues, of ideation of suicide, so we're talking about a population who is already at a higher risk for these," she said.

"Right now, I believe we only have two counsellors, for everyone."

In the meantime, Dickinson says more than 800 staff, faculty and students have received Safe Space training, which among other things, provides a list of resources both on campus and in the community to help LGBT students.

The results of the most recent survey will be released soon and Dickinson says the committee will once again be pushing for Laurentian to hire a social worker.

"It's a goal that we hope to reach in the next couple of years and we're going to keep asking for it until it happens."