Throughout the month of June, our ApplyCare committee led the team through events and initiatives in support of Pride Month. June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Pride, a global celebration to honour the historic impact of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which is considered to be the pivotal point for the gay liberation movement. Hosted by, and to honour members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Month is a time to celebrate the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have made on history—locally, nationally, and internationally.
ApplyBoard is a company that is built on diversity. Our organization consists of employees from over 27 countries, who speak 50 different languages! One of the ways that we celebrate this diversity is through our ApplyCare committee. Led by ApplyBoard team members, this committee runs events and initiatives that promote intercultural learning, understanding of one another, and providing support to our local community.
To commemorate Pride Month and show our support to the LGBTQ+ community, the ApplyCare planning committee hosted events and activities throughout the entire month, with different opportunities for the team to come together and learn about how we can be an ally, and continue to create a workplace that promotes inclusion for all.
While we weren’t able to celebrate together in person, let’s take a look at some of the events and initiatives that the committee organized to help us celebrate Pride Month!
To inform and raise awareness about some of the important issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community, the planning committee put together educational resources that were posted on our intranet and emailed out to our team. Each week focused on a different topic—including allyship, use of pronouns, privilege, and a history of Pride Month. Our team members were given a summary of the topics and resources that they can reference to learn more.
One of the best ways that we can continue to create a safe and supportive space for our peers, and become better allies for the LGBTQ+ community, is to constantly educate ourselves. Each of these pieces included tips and provided a forum where we could engage in conversations about the materials, and share experiences with one another.
Next, organizers hosted a Lunch and Learn, featuring a well-known speaker from the GTA, Brien Convery. Brien is a belonging champion and leading advocate in creating inclusive spaces in employment and careers for LGBTQ+ people. We were so lucky to have him join us!
Hosted during our Wednesday lunch, a time in the week where the entire team gathers virtually, Brien led our team through a presentation highlighting what we can be doing to create a diverse, equitable, accepting, welcoming, and safe space for everyone. His presentation covered some of the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community can face in the workplace, and what we can collectively do to create an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
It was such a good and important talk with Brien! It is wonderful that we have this mindset at ApplyBoard where everyone can feel loved !! ❤️—Eduarda P.
Inspired by Brien and his presentation, our team made donations to one of his favourite charitable organizations, Rainbow Railroad. Rainbow Railroad is a global organization, committed to helping support LGBTQ+ community members escape persecution worldwide.
To wrap up the month-long celebrations, the planning committee took the Pride Parade virtual! Taking place on the last Friday of the month, the committee hosted a Pride-themed ‘Formal Friday’, encouraging all staff to ditch their sweatpants for the day and showcase their best Pride-themed attire! Photos were shared in the Global company-wide chat, with team members from countries across the world participating!
We saw some awesome outfits from the team, including video calls with a rainbow-themed dress code, photos of our furry friends dressed for the occasion, and some seriously impressive makeup skills! Some team members also shared the celebrations with their families, featuring photos of art projects to showcase the different Pride-themed flags.
At ApplyBoard, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, accepting, welcoming, and safe space for everyone. We are fortunate to have committees like ApplyCare that allow us to celebrate our diversity and promote understanding amongst the team.
Want to stay up to date on the initiatives and activities of our team? Follow us on Instagram at @applyboardlife
