Queer Joy Photovoice Project

For this project, we are using photovoice, a qualitative community-based research method. Photovoice enables participants to record and reflect on community concerns and strengths and it promotes critical dialogue and knowledge through the analysis of photos. Photovoice also has the potential to mobilize knowledge to motivate policymakers to achieve positive change. The activities have been coordinated at each partner site by their staff, engaging two participant populations, youth (18-26 years old) and seniors (48+). Participants were recruited at each site and people with intersecting marginalized identities were prioritized. In doing so, we hoped to include queer and trans people who are Black, racialized, disabled, newcomers, people of non-Christian faiths/religions, people with a lack of formal education, who may otherwise be left out of research projects.

The three partner organizations are community-based 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations. Chroma NB is a nonprofit organization that provides support for 2SLGBTQIA+ people in the Saint John region, promotes positive initiatives for the community and conducts research to highlight gaps in services and policy to encourage positive change. E2S is an off-reserve, Indigenous-led and Indigenous-run organization that provides a community gathering space and resources for 2 spirit, IndigiQueer and/or Indigenous LGBTQI+ community members. All staff and board members are Indigenous. 2SiMS is a national organization created to support the wellbeing of 2 Spirit people and strengthen community connections across various regions. Primarily, 2SiMS works with Elders, youth, leaders and partner organizations from many Nations to respond to the social and cultural needs and realities of 2 Spirit people.

In Autumn 2025, we piloted the project with Chroma NB; six youth and six senior participants were involved. After conducting the project with them, we invited the participants to offer their feedback about their experience in the program. They shared their motivations for participating in the project, stating that they wanted to connect with other 2SLGBTQIA+ community members and to focus on a project centering queer joy. All of the participants were engaged throughout the process. Feeling a sense of community, across age groups, and getting to be creative together were highlights of the experience. Most of the participants expressed that being part of this project changed how they saw queer joy in their community. Participants acknowledged the similar experiences they had regardless of age even if their queer joy was expressed differently, which was learned through intergenerational storytelling. Participants learned new skills and knowledge which strengthened their community connectivity. The participants felt that using photovoice helped them define queer joy in new ways that they hadn’t thought of before and realized that queer joy was present in all the small things around them. Engaging in these community conversations helped participants realize that queer joy opened up possibilities and revealed unexpected paths for them, revealing its complex nature. The participants appreciated using photovoice especially in a community setting. Participating in this project helped them navigate personal barriers that they experience as 2SLGBTQI+ people by reflecting on their own struggles and hearing others talk about their own experiences. After collecting feedback from our pilot at Chroma NB, we made changes to the project to ensure that future participants would feel a greater sense of intergenerational connectivity. Some of the changes included: