In September 2021, with support from Mark S. Bonham and Martha L.A. McCain, the University of Toronto officially opened the Queer and Trans Research Lab (QTRL), the first initiative of its kind in the world. This unique collaborative brings together scholars in diverse disciplines, as well as students, activists, artists and members of the broader public, in a collective effort to break down barriers, rethink academic approaches and empower community action.
The QTRL is one dimension of a larger, similarly groundbreaking initiative at U of T: the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies. Based at University College, the Bonham Centre offers an undergraduate program, as well as an interdisciplinary graduate program (MA and PhD) for students who share common research interests in queer, trans and sexuality studies. Through direct support for research projects, and by hosting a wide variety of academic and community events, the Centre forges connections among students, faculty and community members who are committed to exploring how sexuality intersects with race, class, gender, disability and citizenship status, among other factors, to shape social and political life – in Canada and around the globe.
The Bonham Centre was established with the support of Mark S. Bonham, a Canadian financial executive who founded two successful mutual fund companies and now generously gives back to a wide range of causes that reflect his values and interests, including the endowment of several chairs and an MBA scholarship program in U of T’s Rotman School of Management.
Named Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2018, he has received many other awards and honours for his charitable and professional achievements and was among the OUTstanding LGBT Global Business Leaders recognised by the Financial Times.
For Mark Bonham, the founding of the QTRL affirms the tangible progress – and embodies the guiding purpose – of the pioneering effort that bears his name. “This is an exciting time for the Bonham Centre as it builds an impactful research lab on LGBTQ+ issues,” he says. “Academic institutions have always been at the forefront of research on leading issues of the day. The new Queer and Trans Research Lab will help fortify and expand the Centre’s strength in addressing pressing challenges and concerns across the community.”
Ongoing financial support for the Bonham Centre and its activities is generated by two investment funds: the Endowment for the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies and the Mark S. Bonham Teaching Endowment in Sexual Diversity. They are among more than 6,700 individual funds contained within the Endowment portfolio managed by UTAM. A total of $552 million was allocated to academic programs in the year ending April 30, 2021 – about 18% of the total $3.2 billion in endowment funds held by the University during that period.*
* The “Endowment portfolio” managed by UTAM – also called the Long-Term Capital Appreciation Pool – comprises the University’s endowment funds plus other investment assets. As of April 30, 2021, U of T’s fiscal year-end, the total value of the Endowment portfolio was $3.8 billion, including $3.2 billion of endowment funds plus $0.6 billion of other long-term assets. (At UTAM’s year-end – December 31, 2021 – the Endowment portfolio was valued at $4.2 billion.)