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Project Origin: Addressing a Limitation in Research

After completing our first grassroots research initiative, Finding Our Strength, we pursued a mini-grant to expand this work. Before deepening our exploration of the survey’s central themes (e.g., coping and resilience), it was paramount that we addressed a critical problem impacting trans health research broadly: the underrepresentation of our trans/gender diverse siblings of color.

Finding that reflect our community support our community. 
Research that disporportionately centers white trans folkx fails for account for the needs of those historically marginalized within our community. Before we continue with the next iteration of Finding Our Strength, it is imperative that we learn from our valued and beloved community to understand how we and other researchers can do better. 

 

Our proposal for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion grant through the University of Michigan’s Institute of Social Research was accepted in 2019. In partnership with Lance Hicks, LMSW (he/him), founder of Inner Justice Works, we co-created the discussion guide as we prepared for an in-person focus group to launch in early 2020 at LGBT Detroit (facilities sponsor). Monitoring the global pandemic, we shifted gears to a virtual format. As soon as the funding was released through U-M, we launched the focus groups in 2021. 

Community-Based Research

This focus group initiative is grounded in community-driven research. It was conceived, designed, implemented, analyzed, and reported on by members of the trans/gender diverse community. 

Significance

This initiative will lead to actionable insights for researchers and organizers wishing to engage Black and Latine trans and gender diverse folkx. Findings from this focus group will inform the inclusion and recruitment efforts of the Transcend Research Collective. We aspire to rectify the historical underrepresentation of persons of color within trans/gender diverse research. 

Methods

Due to COVID-19, we pivoted from the in-person focus group we planned for spring of 2020 to hosting a virtual session via Zoom. The University of Michigan placed our study on hold until 2021. We obtained consent from eight participants and also conducted member checking with grassroots, community organizers. All coding was conducted on DeDoose.  

We presented on YVM findings at the Institute of Social Research through University of Michigan in 2022.

You can read our blog post based on our journal article, which was published in RTI Press in October 2024. 

Research Team

The core research team of academic and community researchers have been working together since 2015 and the launch of our first research effort, Finding Our Strength. 

Researchers

Brayden A. Misiolek (they/he), Transcend the Binary

Lance Hicks (he/him), InnerJustice Works LLC

Caitlin A. Tupper (she/her), CAT Counseling

Peter Batra (he/him), University of Michigan Institute of Social Research

Nancy JW Lewis (she/her), University of Michigan College of Pharmacy

Study Sponsors

University of Michigan, Institute of Social Research

Transcend the Binary