53 years ago, on June 28th, the Stonewall Uprising began in New York, catalyzing the LGTBQ2S+Trans+ rights movement across the world. Today, the month of June is celebrated to commemorate the courage and bravery of those individuals in 1969, and honour all of the LGBTQ2S+Trans+ community working to build more equitable futures.
In 1973, Pride Week was first celebrated across several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. It was one of the first instances of gay pride and celebration. In the coming years, cities would begin hosting their first pride parades, and in 2016, June was declared Pride Month in Canada.
At NPower Canada, equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of what we do, in bridging the divide between the nation’s most underserved communities and sustainable digital careers. This includes supporting our LGBTQ2S+Trans+ staff, jobseekers, partners and wider community. Pride Day and Month reminds us to celebrate the progress that we have made as a society, whilst still acknowledging the continued systemic barriers and injustices faced by the LGBTQ2S+Trans+ community. We must have ongoing, honest and at times difficult conversations to continue to work towards a more inclusive future.
As Pride Month is a time to uplift and celebrate LGBTQ2S+Trans+ individuals, this month, we highlighted two of our alumni who identify as part of the LGBTQ2S+Trans+ community: Dustin and Dallon. We are proud to be able to provide a safe, comfortable environment for LGBTQ2STrans+ participants like Dustin and are committed to continuing to create inclusive experiences for our participants.
We hope that everyone took time this month to reflect on the history of Pride Month and celebrate the LGBTQ2S+Trans+ community. Happy Pride Day to all!
