Webinars

January 12

Loving the Fire – Trauma Informed Conflict Engagement In the Workplace (English)

Presenter: Kai Cheng Thom (she/her), Writer, Performer & Community Worker

Description: This webinar explores trauma-informed, embodied approaches to conflict resolution and engagement. Kai Cheng Thom, MSc, Mediator and certified coach will explore connections between individual and collective trauma and conflict in organizations and marginalized communities. Participants will be invited to take part in (optional) experiential activities focused on developing an embodied conflict resolution toolkit, including meditation and movement, scenario analysis, role play, and group discussion.

January 26

Evolution of rights for LGBT+ families (French)

Presenter: Mona Greenbaum (she/her), Executive Director, LGBT+ Family Coalition

Description: In the 1990s, families with LGBTQ2+ parents were completely invisible in our society and had no legal recognition. However, over the course of only 25 years, LGBTQ2+ families in Quebec have acquired a number of rights, making our society one of the most pioneering in the world. This presentation by Mona Greenbaum, Executive Director of the LGBT+ Family Coalition, outlines key legislative and legal moments while providing examples of their impact on the lives of affected families.

February 16

FLOURISH: Leading Employee Resource Groups with Intention (English)

Presenter: Stella Samuels (they/them, she/her), Leadership Programs Coordinator, Pride at Work Canada

Description: Those who lead 2SLGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have an enormous opportunity to create change for queer and trans employees. They also face very specific challenges in Canadian workplaces. Join Stella Samuels, Leadership Programs Coordinator, visionary and designer of the FLOURISH curriculum and program, along with participants from the 2021 FLOURISH cohort as they revisit and review their experiences, lessons learned, and key takeaways that have resulted in impactful changes.

March 16

Responsible Use of Power (English)

Presenter: Cicely Belle Blain (they/them), CEO, Bakau Consulting

Description: Responsible Use of Power is a webinar that unpacks the nuances of systemic, personal and social power and explores how they can be used and misused in the workplace and in society at large. The session offers participants the opportunity to reflect on their own power and privilege. Led by the award winning educator and consultant Cicely Belle Blain, this training will be especially useful for those who are passionate about foster equitable spaces.

September 15

Systems Design for LGBTQ2+ Inclusion (English)

Presenter: Tara Robertson (she/her), Tara Robertson Consulting

Description: HR policies and procedures are not the only part of your business that should be seen through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. Technology plays a major role in how inclusive an organization is for LGBTQ2+ employees and clients. During this webinar, Tara Robertson will outline best practices when designing systems, products and services to be inclusive of LGBTQ2+ people as well as how to review the current technological processes of your organization.

September 22

UNIE-LGBTQ Project Results (French)

Presenter: Martin Blais (he/him), Université du Québec à Montréal

Description: During the UNIE-LGBTQ Project Results Webinar, we will have the pleasure of welcoming Martin Blais, Research Chair on Sexual Diversity and Gender Plurality at the Université du Québec à Montréal, who will present the results of the Understanding Inclusion and Exclusion of LGBTQ People (UNIE-LGBTQ) project.

October 13

Diversifying Emerging Talent Pools (English)

Presenter: Brien K. Convery (he/him), National Director, Early Talent Communities and Inclusive Recruitment, Royal Bank of Canada

Description: Attracting the right talent for every job is a big challenge for employers. In this webinar, Brien K. Convery will speak about proven solutions from his experience as National Director, Early Talent Communities and Inclusive Recruitment, Canada for RBC. He will discuss how to engage LGBTQ2+ communities in recruitment processes and the specific challenges presented by engaging students and emerging talent. Millenials and Gen Z are more likely to work for a company that showcases their efforts to be LGBTQ2+ inclusive. Join Brien to learn how to make sure you are sending the right message.

November 17

Creating Space for Uncomfortable Conversations (English)

Presenter: B Adair (he/him), Founder, Just B Consulting

Description: One of the biggest inclusion challenges for many employers is how to communicate on the subjects gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Engaging on these topics can result in conversations that are uncomfortable for LGBTQ2+ employees and those working in allyship with them. Join diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) professional B Adair (he/him) as he unpacks the importance of strong communication skills when navigating tough conversations, from a workplace DEI perspective.

In this session, case studies will be provided of how to talk to those who know little about LGBTQ2+ communities, as well as how to provide welcoming feedback. You’ll learn why diverse voices matter in the workplace and how to overcome “diversity fatigue”.Most of all, you’ll gain new skills and knowledge about maintaining a calm and open-minded approach to having difficult conversations.

November 24

Introduction to inclusive writing in French (French)

Presenter: Magali G. Fitzbay (she/they) & Alexandra Forget (she/her), Les 3 sex*

Description: What is inclusive writing? Why incorporate it, and where to start? This introductory workshop from Les 3 sex* and Club Sexu will help you learn the basics of inclusive writing! We will also attempt to debunk a few myths about inclusive writing, help participants understand the practice’s historical underpinnings, and provide a brief overview of some inclusive writing approaches and techniques.

July 7

We Demanded: Law, Employment, and LGBTQ2+ History (English)

Presenter: Lucie Handley-Girard (she/her), Archivist, The ArQuives

Description: The presentation will encompass a history of LGBTQ2+ Canada with a focus on Canadian LGBTQ2+ employment discrimination starting in the 1970s. Utilizing pieces of the ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives extensive collection archivist Lucie Handley-Girard will bring LGBTQ2+ history to light. The talk will highlight specific court cases that have changed the course of LGBTQ2+ rights in Canada, as well as instances of discrimination that have gotten less national media and legal traction but nevertheless showcase human rights violations, hate crimes, and the consequences of being out and outed in Canadian workplaces over time.

March 24

Re-branding & The Importance of Relevant Communications (French)

Presenter: Antoine Beaudoin Gentes (he/him) Chief Operating and Development Officer, Gender Creative Kids Canada

Description: The importance of developing an actual and clear image for a community organization or any project related to current issues. The organization’s French name, formerly “Enfants transgenres Canada,” was henceforth “Jeunes identités créatives” – their Development Director explains the process behind this change. After a collaborative internal reflection process around the objective of finding a name that would better embody the organization’s renewal and its revisited mission: “Jeunes identités créatives” presented itself and organically settled inside the hearts of the teams. Is your brand or business truly authentic to your core values? To give life to an organization, we must constantly work to strengthen and develop it.

April 14

Putting a Focus on Implementing Trans Inclusion (English)

Presenter: Kai Scott (he/him), President, and Hélène Frohard-Dourlent (they/she), Senior Strategist, TransFocus Consulting

Description: Do you want to hear from companies that are doing the in-depth work to support greater inclusion of gender diversity among employees and customers? You may wonder: What’s it like to do this work? What can I learn from these companies’ insights and ‘aha’ moments during implementation? What are the unique considerations, like cultural and systems factors as well as French translation? Join us for this candid and intimate fireside chat between Bell Canada and TransFocus Consulting to delve into these questions and more. You’ll leave having a more realistic idea of what is involved and what to expect to prepare for or affirm your company’s journey.

May 12

Supporting Parents of LGBTQ2+ Kids (English)

Presenter: Carmel Farahbakhsh (they/them), Executive Director, The Youth Project, and Kym Sweeney (she/her), Staff Lawyer, Nova Scotia Legal Aid

Description: Employees of Pride at Work Canada’s National and Regional Partner network are welcome to attend this facilitated conversation about parenting LGBTQ2+ kids, being a LGBTQ2+ parent, and creating safer, innovative, and more imaginative work spaces to support diverse families. Carmel Farahbakhsh is the Executive Director of the Youth Project, a Nova Scotian non-profit organization with the mission to build spaces for LGBTQ2+ youth to feel valued, celebrated, and cared for provincially, will be joined by a very special family to discuss current realities and dream luminous futures for LGBTQ2+ families locally. Kym Sweeney will be joined by her child Elliott in a conversation about their shared experiences and contrasting experiences in navigating school, work, and chosen family/community.

May 19

Demystifying Sexual Diversity and Gender Plurality – Being a Good Ally (French)

Presenter: Henri-June Pilote (they/them), Executive Director, AlterHéros

Description: How can we serve as good allies to our LGBTQ2+ colleagues? Is it appropriate to ask questions, and if so, how and in what context? How can we create more inclusive environments and have a greater impact on inclusion in the workplace? With LGBTQ2+ communities constantly evolving, how can we embrace these changes and stay on top of all these new realities? Join Henri-June Pilote, Executive Director of AlterHéros, as they discuss these issues in this national webinar for Pride at Work Canada partners.

January 13

Decolonizing Inclusion & Diversity (English)

Presenter: Sara Wolfe (she/her/they), Director, Indigenous Innovation Initiative at Grand Challenges Canada

Description: During this presentation, Sara Wolfe will discuss the opportunities to decolonize approaches to inclusion and diversity efforts, and the lived realities of Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Indigenous people in employment and service delivery. Integrating decolonization approaches into gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation inclusion will be more effective in creating organizational change. Concrete examples of how to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into action.

January 20

Supporting Parents of Trans, Nonbinary, Gender Creative, and Genderfluid Kids (French)

Presenter: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (she/her) (Ph.D. Ethics, Social work, DeMontfort University, UK), Associate Professor at the University of Montreal‘s School of Social Work

Description: The concept of being an “ally” is now in common parlance. How can I be an ally for my colleagues who have a trans, nonbinary, gender creative, and genderfluid child or who are in the process of coming out? How can we better support and help them? How do I correct myself when I make a mistake? Join us for a presentation that will allow you to better understand the experiences of oppression and resistance of trans, nonbinary, gender creative, and genderfluid youth and their families and learn best practices to support them.

February 17

Queer Teachings from Black Lives Matter (English)

Presenter: Cicely Belle Blain (they/them), CEO, Cicely Blain Consulting

Description: In this session Black Lives Matter Vancouver co-founder and former organizer, Cicely Belle Blain will discuss the importance of intersectionality in movement building and equity, diversity and inclusion work. Black Lives Matter has long been a champion of liberating all marginalized people and offers poignant and powerful teachings on intersectional liberation. Let’s unpack how these tools and teachings can translate into our workplaces, communities and shared spaces.

March 17

Mapping the Inclusion Continuum (English)

Presenter: Jefferson Darrell (he/him), Founder, Breakfast Culture

Description: Diversity & Inclusion is not just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a “must-have” if an organization is to achieve the highest standard of recruitment, performance and retention for viable, sustainable growth. BREAKFAST CULTURE’s Diversity and Inclusion Audit is a comprehensive measurement and analysis process to understand where your organization lies and how to move it along the DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Continuum*. This is one of the first steps towards cultivating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace culture. In this session you will learn about the DEI Continuum* and how Breakfast Culture uses current tools, including leading edge Employee Engagement Enterprise software and/or Global Diversity & Inclusion Benchmarks (GDIB) to analyze where your organization currently resides on the DEI Continuum*.

*The Human Equity Advantage: Beyond Diversity to Talent Optimization, Wilson 2013