June is Pride Month, an incredible opportunity for us to celebrate the rich diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community at Women’s and beyond.
Name: Madelaine Coelho
Pronouns: she/her
Title & Department: Connection Lead, trans-LINK Canada Project, WCH Research and Innovation
On the WCH team for: 5 years
1. What excites you most about Pride month?
Pride is always such an exciting time in Toronto as there are so many fun opportunities to celebrate. Whatever you’re into – theatre, food, dogs, partying – there are opportunities to partake, and I think that is amazing. There are many places where queer folks are under attack, so it is exciting being able to celebrate so publicly through Toronto Pride.
2. What work makes WCH an inclusive place for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities?
WCH is an inclusive place for 2SLGBTQ+ communities as it is dedicated to improving healthcare access for the queer communities all year round. My work at Women’s College Hospital is specifically focused on enhancing the care and support for transgender and gender-diverse survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. By facilitating this research, it is clear that WCH wants to remove barriers for the communities they serve.
3. What is your greatest wish for 2025 as it relates to Pride Month and healthcare?
While many organizations may embrace inclusive mandates, especially for 2SLGBTQI+ communities, they may not always practice inclusive service provision. My greatest wish for 2025 is for more organizations to rise to the challenge and meet the healthcare needs of queer folks such as culturally competent providers and more gender-affirming practices.
4. Who is your 2SLGBTQ+ Pride role model? Why?
My current 2SLGBTQI+ pride role model is Vivek Shraya who spoke recently to a gender and sexualities studies lab I am affiliated with called QUAKE (Queers Advancing Knowledge and Education). Shraya’s transdisciplinary work as a writer, artist, and performer has been inspirational and positively shaped the way I see myself as a queer woman of south Asian descent.