Bringing to light the reality of LGBTQ2+ communities in university setting

INRS launches Les voix multiples, a podcast featuring LGBTQ2+ individuals to raise awareness of issues related to sexual and gender diversity in academia.

As part of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is launching Les voix multiples, a four-episode podcast aimed at raising awareness about the reality of LGBTQ2+ communities in the academic world, whether they are students, employees, or faculty members.

Finding your way in an inclusive university

When it feels right, attending a university can be a transformative and fulfilling experience whether you’re working or studying there. But despite efforts in recent years to make academia as welcoming and inclusive as possible for members of LGBTQ2+ communities, barriers remain. What changes must be made to create environments where people can fully be themselves?

That is the central question for INRS in this podcast that highlights the life journeys of six LGBTQ+ members of its community. We discover the challenges they have encountered and their thoughts on how to make the university environment a better ally for their development.

“It is important for INRS to ensure that all members of its community are respected, that they feel safe, and they enjoy the same benefits. Everyone must contribute to maintaining an inclusive and safe environment for people of sexual and gender diversity. It’s a collective effort”, Philippe-Edwin Bélanger, Director of Student Life and Studies Services at INRS.

“With this podcast, we hope to provide food for thought on the role universities must play to be as inclusive as possible.”

Philippe-Edwin Bélanger

Les voix multiples is available on all main listening platforms and at inrs.ca.

A collective voice

Les voix multiples project is part of a larger initiative to raise awareness for equity, diversity, and inclusion among LGBTQ+ individuals called « À l’INRS, toutes les variables sont incluses ! »

Thank you to INRS participants: Amélie, Géraldine, Maude, Mathilde, Simon, and Steven.

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The podcast series was produced by INRS and directed by RECréation.

The project was made possible thanks to funding from the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec.

Production
Soraya Elbekkali

Original music and narration
Antoine Bédard

Editing
Emma Bertin

Recording and mixing
Studio Bulldog

“Changing a community is everyone’s responsibility, and at different times, according to different strategies.”

— Amélie Cousineau, PhD student in population studies

“From the moment you show your true self, you implicitly become an ally for someone, somewhere.”

— Maude Cloutier, PhD student in biology

“If you experience an inclusive environment at university, you bring this vision into the workplace and the impact on society is certainly positive.”

— Géraldine Delbès, Professor