Queer Digital Stories – Event Hosted by Dr. Jen Goldberg at the Pulse Lab

Research Overview

The study explores the importance of gender-inclusive language in midwifery care, and how it helps trans and nonbinary individuals feel seen, affirmed and respected. This is being explored through digital storytelling.

In January, participants convened in Hamilton, ON for a three-day all-inclusive digital storytelling retreat. The workshop was facilitated by StoryCentre Canada, hosted by the PulseLab. Over three days, participants held story sharing circles, wrote story scripts, recorded voiceovers, made video recordings, and learned how to use digital media tools to craft their digital stories. By the end of the workshop, participants had created 3-5 minute stories using voiceover, music, photographs, art, creativity, imagination, and care. The workshop culminated with a screening of the videos, which told stories about gender, family building, queerness, pregnancy, transness, care, grief, community, healing, and love.

Why is this research being done?

Gendered language in healthcare settings often excludes trans and nonbinary people, leading to harmful consequences such as misgendering and trauma during pregnancy and birth. As societal debates over queer and trans identities and lives intensify, it’s critical to establish gender-affirming language as standard practice in healthcare, including midwifery care. Through digital storytelling, we explore how gender-affirming language can improve care for trans and nonbinary people and resist harmful exclusionary practices.

The purpose of this study is to better understand what gender-affirming language means to trans and nonbinary midwifery service-users, and how it can be used to make them feel seen and respected in perinatal care. Through the co-creation of digital stories, the study will provide insights into the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary people in midwifery settings. These stories will be shared with healthcare providers to encourage the adoption of gender-affirming language, ultimately improving care and promoting inclusion in perinatal healthcare.