Who We Are

We are a team of researchers out of the University of Lethbridge, dedicated to representing the voices of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The U of L is located on the lands of the Siksikaitsitapii people past, present, and future. We stand in solidarity with the Indigenous community and are held accountable to representing their voices, especially those of the Two-Spirit community represented in this project.

Illustration of Athena, a white female with long dark hair and glasses. She is smiling, wearing a dark v-neck shirt under a blue blazer.

Principal Investigator

Athena Elafros (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge. She is a qualitative cultural sociologist who studies culture and inequality. Her current projects include collaborations with Dr. Christopher Churchill on the role of different forms of labour within musical and literary cultural fields; Dr. Amandine Pras, Grace Brooks, and Monica Lockett on sound engineers’ and producers’ experiences of microaggressions in the recording studio; and Tif Semach on collecting and preserving the oral histories of GSA members and facilitators in Alberta, Canada.

Co-Principal Investigator

Tif Semach (she/they) is a Sessional Instructor in Sociology and Kinesiology at the University of Lethbridge, Sessional Instructor in the 2+2 Niitsitapi Arts and Science Diploma Program at Red Crow Community College, and a Ph.D student in Cultural, Social, and Political Thought at the University of Lethbridge. Their doctoral research will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 2SLGBTQ+ high school students in Alberta, Canada.  

Illustration of Tif. They are a white, non-binary person with short hair, shaved on the sides and longer on top. They are smiling, have glasses, and are wearing a dark t-shirt.
Illustration of Harry. He is a white male with short hair and a beard and moustache. He is smiling, with his arms crossed over his chest. He is wearing a dark t-shirt.

Past Co-Principal Investigator
(2019-2022)

Harry Culley (he/him) is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Lethbridge. His history with his own high school GSA is where the passion for GSAs began. His interests align deeply with community engagement and fostering safe and inclusive spaces.