2SLGBTQIA+

Making fieldwork safe for all identities

Many areas of research require fieldwork, but what if those spaces are not safe for people of all identities?

Dr. Cale Gushulak with a student during their fieldwork.
Estimated Read Time:
1 minute
Dr. Cale Gushulak with student, Dawsyn Sturch, during their fieldwork at Waterhen Lake.
Dr. Cale Gushulak with student, Dawsyn Sturch, during their fieldwork at Waterhen Lake.
Estimated Read Time:
1 minute
By

Kimia Shadkami

Canada holds a lot of the world's freshwater resources. When those are not being maintained properly, scientists in Canada have a responsibility of stewardship to develop a scientific understanding of the underlying issues, according to Dr. Cale Gushulak. This helps explore conservation and mitigation responses. With a subject as important as water, training experts and performing research in the field becomes necessary. But what happens if those spaces are not safe for people of all identities?

Gushulak is an assistant professor in the department of biological sciences who argues that access to good quality water is the most fundamental item on the hierarchy of needs for humans. His lab focuses on aquatic environmental changes throughout time. He and his team are no strangers to fieldwork and the complexities around it.

It's well-known, I think, that rural and outdoor spaces have not always been the most welcoming and safe for queer people, especially those who are trans or non-binary. So, one of the things that I would like to do with my position is to create a series of best practices for making fieldwork safe for people of all identities.

Dr. Cale Gushulak, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences.

Dr. Cale Gushulak with a student smiling at the camera during their fieldwork.
Dr. Cale Gushulak with student, Dawsyn Sturch, during their fieldwork at Waterhen Lake.

Some of the examples he mentions are making sure everyone has the correct bathroom access or how medications are stored. When it comes to the lab, Gushulak has some suggestions. He talks about him being part of the queer community openly when hiring students, has a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect in the lab, implements little markers like Pride stickers on the door and his Pride flag in the office.

“Because of intersectionality, it's important for me to say that, as the full gamut of experiences goes, I've been lucky. I've not faced a lot of direct hardship, mostly because I'm white, male and straight-passing,” Gushulak shares.

Gushulak continues to say that when it comes to work on campus, such as labs, there are many established best practices and guidelines around safety, but when it comes to fieldwork, things fall through the cracks.

Watch the full interview

We invite you to watch the full interview with Dr. Cale Gushulak on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel. Learn about his research, how he started his science journey, and what his vision is for the future of his field.

 

Boilerplate: Community

Creating space for everyone to thrive is more than a goal—it’s who we are. Fostering a vibrant community is among the commitments you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.