Embracing Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Creating Inclusive Spaces
Meet Mathew Gosselin-Quick, a hardworking geoscientist in training on Englobe’s environmental team who dedicates his free time to the Pride community in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Tell us about yourself!
From a young age, I was inspired to care about the environment. After graduating from Lakehead University with a degree in Earth Sciences, I decided to explore an interest in remediation when searching for a career path to pursue. As a Geoscientist-in-Training, I am preparing my PGO application for a full designation.
What does pride mean to you?
To me Pride means safety. It means feeling safe in how you identify, and to be welcomed in all spaces regardless of your identification. It means knowing that the way you identify will not have negative consequences or repercussions. Pride is about being able, and being free to be your true and authentic self. Pride is about living your fullest life and living without fear.
What does it look like being a part of the Pride community?
I am the Vice-Chair on the Board of Directors for the Thunder Pride Association (TPA), which is a non-profit volunteer governed organization in Thunder Bay Ontario that provides services and support to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community of Thunder Bay and broader Northwestern Ontario. The work happening in the background to organize and host events demands a lot of volunteer time, but what makes it worth it is to be able to meet the community face-to-face at events. The best part of it all is to see how happy and enthusiastic attendees are as they participate in inclusive and welcoming spaces that we have created.
How can allies support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?
Share the burden. Take on the emotional labour that occurs when having to push back against anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric. You don't have to fully understand 2SLGBTQIA+ or fully agree with every bit of what it means, but if you can accept it or at least tolerate it, that is what can allow inclusive spaces to begin to form. Show support by putting up Pride signage and branding.
What are steps workplaces can take to create a more inclusive work environment?
Reach out to your local Pride organization and see if they have signage or displays for purchase. These signs could be used for the windows and doorways at the office. Pride enamel pins are also a nice professional touch to wear with business attire and ordering a batch for the staff at the office is a great idea. See if you can become a corporate sponsor for your local Pride organizations and send them a donation. I would also encourage adopting a preferred pronouns policy and ensure that HR can accommodate employee name changes if requested by an employee.
What are some good resources for learning more about Pride month?
The best place to start would be to search for Pride organizations in your area and like, follow, and support these groups. These organizations often provide resources on their websites specific to each location, and post updates that will have useful information. In today's age of algorithms and echo chambers, we often need to manually act in order to be exposed to new information and to break out of the information feedback loop that we are trapped within. This way you will be able to find out about upcoming Pride events in your area happening this month and all year round.