Examining the Academic Outcomes of 2SLGBTQ+ University Students in Ontario - Microaggressions and the Meditating Role of Psychological Well-Being

Oct 15, 2026

Research on trans and LGBQ microaggressions on campuses and their consequences has grown, yet this literature is primarily from the United States and the effects of microaggressions on academic outcomes remain generally under-investigated. Trans/LGBQ microaggressions can negatively affect students’ psychological well-being, which matters for their academic outcomes, suggesting well-being might mediate the impact of microaggressionson academic outcomes. Using a convenience sample of 2SLGBTQ+ university students from Ontario (N = 3,344), the study tests mediation by psychological well-being while controlling for demographics, and reports results for trans and LGBQ microaggressions separately.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Legal protections and Canadian context

Marginalization, hostile campus climate, and well-being

Examining the Academic Outcomes of 2SLGBTQ+ University Students in Ontario: Microaggressionsand the Meditating Role of Psychological Well-Being Michael R. Woodford Wilfrid Laurier University Harrison Oakes Wilfrid Laurier University Tin D. Vo University of Toronto Brandon R. G. Smith Wilfrid Laurier University Abstract Research on trans and LGBQ microaggressions on campuses and their consequences has grown, yet this literature is primarily from the United States and the effects of microaggressions on academic outcomes remain generally under-investigated. Trans/LGBQ microaggressions can negatively affect students’ psychological well-being, which matters for their academic outcomes, suggesting well-being might mediate the impact of microaggressionson academic outcomes. Using a convenience sample of 2SLGBTQ+ university students from Ontario (N = 3,344), we examine the association between trans/LGBQ microaggressions and academic satisfaction and school avoidance, testing if they are mediated by psychological well-being, controlling for demographics. We report findings for trans/LGBQ microaggressions separately to centre trans and gender-diverse (TGD) students’ experiences. For both groups, we found that microaggressions were associated with poorer academic outcomes. Except for one pathway among TGD students, we found that psychological well-being mediated the microaggressions–academic outcome relationships. We offer implications to support student services that are responsive to 2SLGBTQ+ students. Keywords: campus climate, microaggressions, exclusion, minority stress, distress, academic engagement and development Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 55:4 (2025) Résumé Les recherches sur les microagressions contre les personnes trans et LGBQ sur les campus et sur leurs conséquences se sont multipliées. Toutefois, la littérature provient principalement des États-Unis, et les effets des microagressions sur les résultats universitaires restent peu étudiés. Les microagressions contre les personnes étudiantes trans et LGBQ peuvent affecter négativement leur bien-être psychologique et, par le faitmême, leursrésultats universitaires. En utilisantun échantillon decommodité de personnes étudiantes 2SLGBTQ+ dans des universités de l’Ontario (N = 3 344), nous examinons l’effet des microagressions sur la satisfaction universitaire et l’évitement scolaire, en testant si les résultats sont médiés par le bien-être psychologique et en contrôlant les données démographiques. Nous rapportons séparément les résultats concernant les microagressions contre les personnes trans et LGBQ afin de mettre en lumière les expériences particulières des personnes étudiantes trans et de la diversité de genre. Pour les deux groupes, nous avons constaté que les microagressions étaient associées à demoins bons résultats universitaires. Sauf pour une voie parmi les personnes étudiantes trans et de la diversité de genre, nous avons constaté que le bien-être psychologiquemédiait les relations entre microagressions et résultats universitaires. Nous proposons des pistes pour offrir à la population étudiante 2SLGBTQ+ des services qui répondent à ses besoins. Mots clés : Climat sur les campus, microagressions, exclusion, stress lié au statut de minorité, détresse, engagement et développement universitaires INTRODUCTION systematic review), including studies exploring microaggressions based on gender (trans mi Despite federal and provincial legal protections croaggressions) and sexual orientation (LGBQ for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, microaggressions), separately (Woodford, queer, and other sexually and gender-diverse Weber, et al. , 2018), shedding light on the dif-(2SLGBTQ+) people and institutional anti-dis- ferential impacts of microaggressions for each crimination statements enumerating gender, subgroup. While informative to the field, this gender expression, and sexual orientatio

FAQs

How do findings differ for trans and gender-diverse (TGD) students versus the other group?

Microaggressions were associated with poorer academic outcomes for both groups. Psychological well-being mediated the microaggressions–academic outcome relationships for both groups except for one pathway among TGD students.

Oct 15, 2026

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