Grant: Op. Gr. Adv. 2S_LGBTQI+ Heal. Thr. Res. - Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health

Autistic people are much more likely than the general population to identify as 2S/LGBTQ+. In Canada and internationally, this overlap is common, yet the experiences, needs, and strengths of people at this intersection are still poorly understood. Many autistic 2S/LGBTQ+ people face barriers when seeking healthcare, social services, housing, or workplace support, and often report feeling misunderstood or unsafe in systems meant to help them. At the same time, people in this community describe strengths, creativity, and different ways of building connection that are often overlooked by current support systems. These experiences offer important clues for improving care, services, and outcomes. By combining large-scale data with direct partnership from autistic 2S/LGBTQ+ community leaders, this project will identify the factors that shape both barriers and resilence for this population and translate these insights into action. We will analyze two major datasets created with autistic and 2S/LGBTQ+ community input to understand how social environments, policies, supports, and stress experiences influence health and daily life. We will also work with a diverse group of autistic 2S/LGBTQ+ adults in Canada to interpret findings and identify what changes would make the greatest difference. Working together, we will co-produce a bilingual (French and English) self-advocacy tool that supports autistic 2S/LGBTQ+ adults in advocating for their needs and priorities across healthcare, social services, and community settings. This tool will be practical, accessible, and designed to support real-world navigation. Through this collaboration, the project aims to strengthen self-advocacy, improve interactions with service systems, reduce health disparities and risk, and provide evidence that can guide more inclusive programs and policies for the many autistic 2S/LGBTQ+ people in Canada.