Grant: Team Grant: HIV/AIDS and STBBI CBR - Sex workers and their clients

By and for trans women, this community-based research project will explore the strategies that increase capacity and health for trans artists and trans sex workers, especially concerning HIV. Based in a framework of social action research, we will engage in variety of actions to implement and evaluate different capacity building initiatives. The project is led by a Council of Elders, three of whom are Indigenous. It will form five Working Groups ; 1) financial literacy ; 2) community-based research ; 3) conference planning ; 4) training of health researchers ; 5) participatory evaluation. These Working Groups will offer concrete occasions to learn skills and develop a practice of community-based research. In addition to these Working Groups, we will hold an Annual Conference to build community, network and share skills. We will also organize an annual fundraising show, with proceeds to go to direct support of refugee trans women, as a way to ensure that this research projects gives back to, and helps build, trans communities. This project is by and for trans women. Trans sex workers and artists have identified financial literacy and financial security as central to improvement of their health, including HIV and STBBI health. By centring this topic in the social action research process, we ensure that the project is a self-determined priority of the community. The data that will be gathered, evaluated and analyzed will offer grounded and compelling information about the kinds of strategies needed to support trans sex workers and trans artists in their HIV and STBBI health, as well as the conditions necessary to build strong trans communities. Despite the tremendous impact of HIV on trans women, there is a dearth of knowledge about the kinds of community health initiatives rooted in trans communities that are the most successful. This research will help us, finally, obtain this knowledge, in a manner which is led by and for trans women ourselves.