Meet the ISTN-3 Grads: Eli Verdugo
Eli Verdugo (they/them) is a master's student in the Social Dimensions of Health program at the University of Victoria. They have a bachelor's degree in Psychology, specializing in Social psychology, from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico City. They advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in their home country and community in La Paz, Mexico, where they founded the LGBTQ+ non-profit, La Paz es Diversa. Their research interests include mental health, gender, queer and trans+ issues, youth, identity and community. Their current research seeks to further knowledge of trans+ youths' mental health in La Paz, Mexico, using community-based participatory action research principles to inform public policy in their state, promote trans+ youths' rights and promote social change to benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
Where and what are you currently studying?
I am currently in a program called Social Dimensions of Health, an interdisciplinary master’s program at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at The University of Victoria. That’s what I’m studying right now, but I’m actually in La Paz, Mexico right now which is my hometown.
Where did your interest in doing research with LGBTQ+ populations begin?
I think my personal experience brought me to this because when I was doing my Bachelor in Psychology, I realized there was not much information about us and our experiences and what we actually needed. When I was doing my bachelor’s, I was also volunteering at an LGBTQ+ non-profit in Mexico City and I realized that the needs of my community were just not talked about in the existing literature and that’s basically where it started. After I finished my bachelor’s, I started a non-profit in my hometown [of La Paz] which is in the Northwest of Mexico and I realized that I had no information - or, at least, very little access to information - [about LGBTQ+ people in Mexico] outside of Mexico City. Finding any information outside of that was impossible. So, that’s when I decided to do a master's degree where I can do research that could help my organization and the people here be able to actually access services and make changes in policy, laws, and the things that affect us.
Can you tell me more about your non-profit?
It’s called “La Paz es diversa” which has a double meaning. The city where I'm at right now is La Paz, so the name can mean “La Paz is diverse” [in English,] but at the same time “Paz” in Spanish means peace, so it can also mean “peace is diverse.” We stated it around five years ago and we were the first organization [for the LGBTQ+ community] here in La Paz, so it was a big challenge, especially because I started it when I was 22.
The first thing we started doing was just creating safe spaces - creating queer spaces - that were not just a bar or nightlife. We wanted to create community spaces for people to support each other, to create networks, and to learn and talk about issues. But we also started doing human rights advocacy like fighting for the recognition of equal marriage back in 2019. As we did this, we realized that we also needed to do something about mental health because that’s the main issue we were noticing. So, we started providing psychological support - one-on-one therapy and group spaces for people, in general, but especially youth as it’s mostly youth and their families who access our spaces. Then, we began providing legal support - like legal advice for people who needed that and people whose human rights were being denied in other institutions whether that be educational ones, at their work, or any other area.
We are youth led and so, I think a big part of what we do besides the spaces and services we provide is just being a platform for queer youth to realize that we have the potential to change the world. It sounds kind of funny, but it’s true. We want queer youth to be able to dream and to realize that they have value and that their voices and actions matter.
How has your experience in the ISTN impacted your scholarship and research?
I think, for me, ISTN has impacted me in several ways. When I was doing my masters, I felt lost - I felt like I was doing something that didn’t really matter and I didn’t know where the work I was doing would fit. Going to a whole different country with such a different culture was quite a challenge, so I really stopped believing in myself and was like “I’ll just finish this and go back to Mexico.” But when I applied [to ISTN] and they chose me, I was like “Wow, maybe I’m wrong! Maybe I really need to believe in myself and in what I’m doing.” That was the most important thing - ISTN was, for me, a confirmation that what I do is worth it and that I’m valuable and can do it. I feel very special being part of the ISTN and who I am now on the other side.
I’ve also learnt a lot of stuff [through the ISTN training sessions] that I didn’t really learn through my master’s like a lot of people, theories, and material that I never heard before and were very new to me. Not only was it interesting because it was new, but it was really cool because it was something I could apply immediately to my work - not just as a researcher, but as someone who is trying to lead an organization that teaches and inspires younger folks. The knowledge and experiences that I’ve gained through [ISTN] have been really useful to me and I’m really grateful for how it elevated my learning experience.
One last thing is, I think it’s been really cool to meet other people around the world who might not think the same, but are all trying to do the same thing which is make the world a better place for all of us. It just made me realize that there are a lot of us, that we are not alone, and there’s a lot of people we can both learn from and probably teach something to. I think that’s really cool.
What are some key takeaways from ISTN that you will take into your future work?
As a scholar [working in La Paz], there are two things right? One, there’s no funding. There’s pretty much a lack - a huge lack - of interest from universities that are outside of Mexico City. Besides this lack of interest, there’s also this perspective that what we do, the knowledge that we create, is not valuable or important knowledge. People are like yeah, cool, whatever, but it’s not considered scholarly work, so you’re just on your own and it’s hard to promote this research.
With ISTN, it’s not just the [scholarly] knowledge thatI’ve gathered from the training, but also there’s a lot of places and resources that I’ve learnt about through conversations with others. [For example,] I learned a lot from Shelley’s work and she gifted me the chance to be part of her AFFIRM program which I didn’t even know about before the ISTN. Shelley gave me this opportunity that I otherwise wouldn’t have been afforded and I’m applying [what I learnt from it] already not just as a scholar, but also as an advocate for human rights and a psychotherapist in my one-on-one work with youth.
Another big, big, big benefit from the ISTN is that my research is funded now by the SSHRC which is amazing because it means that I have been able to pay my participants and do all the things that otherwise would have been really hard for me or pretty much impossible. And one final thing that is really cool is all the connections that I’ve made through ISTN - I was invited to a really cool project because I also do illustration and so I’m now illustrating this guidebook for queer and trans youth who are in care and I’ve got some funding through that as well. I had been struggling to stay hopeful because it was really hard for me in Canada and even [in La Paz], things can still be really hard, but I remember [that Shelley once said] I have to be very tenacious if I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and it gives me hope.
