10Feb

Pride at Work Canada Testifies Before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights on Employment Equity

February 10, 2026 Contractor 8

On February 9, 2026, Pride at Work Canada appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights as part of its study on employment equity in the federal public service. Represented by Jade Pichette, Director of Programs and Advocacy, we joined fellow witnesses Tyler Boyce (The Enchanté Network) and Bonnie Brayton (DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada) to share perspectives on the urgent need to modernize Canada’s Employment Equity framework. The Committee, chaired by Senator Paulette Senior, is examining issues related to employment equity under its general order of reference on human rights. This study presents an important opportunity to address...

02Feb

ProPride 2026: Building Queer Futures

February 2, 2026 Contractor 10

Building Queer Futures is Pride at Work Canada’s 2026 ProPride series, focused on helping organizations and individuals move from intention to long-term impact. At a time of rapid social, political, and workplace change, this series asks a critical question: what does it take to build workplaces where 2SLGBTQIA+ people can not only belong today, but shape the future? Through a forward-looking, systems-level lens, Building Queer Futures examines how power, policy, leadership, and culture intersect to influence the experiences and outcomes of Two-spirit, queer and trans people at work. The series of educational sessions will centre on practical strategies for strengthening...

20Oct

Board of Directors Opportunity

October 20, 2025 Contractor 61

Application Deadline: January 31, 2026 Board Director Profile & Application Information Pride at Work Canada is currently seeking candidates who can commit to a 2-year term with the possibility of renewal. This year, we are prioritizing candidates with competencies, skills, and experience in the following areas (though we welcome applications from individuals with other strengths as well): Fundraising and Business Development Academia, Education and Research Governance Knowledge or Expertise Bilingualism in French and English is an asset Application Instructions We invite all interested candidates to fill out this application form by day-end January 31, 2026. Everyone is encouraged and welcomed...

29Sep

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 29, 2025 Contractor 62

On Tuesday, September 30, Pride at Work Canada will observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. While this is not a statutory holiday, our Employee Handbook provides this day off with pay. The intention is to give us all the space to reflect on our personal and collective steps toward reconciliation. Looking Ahead On the morning of Friday, October 10, 2025, we will hold an optional staff session focused on defining reconciliation and related terms. During this session, we will: Review Pride at Work Canada’s past reconciliation initiatives—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we can carry forward. Unpack...

24Sep

We Are Sounding the Alarm

September 24, 2025 Contractor 49

We are sounding the alarm about potential cuts to 2SLGBTQIA+ equality and women’s rights funding in the upcoming federal budget. In a moment when 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are under attack and where economic upheaval is making life harder for queer people and women across Canada, now is not the time for Canada’s federal government to weaken its commitment to equality and human rights. Investments in gender equality and 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are critical to building a more free and equal Canada, and unlocking the economic potential of historically marginalized communities. That’s why, alongside over 175+ organizations across Canada, including leading 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations...

15Sep

Advancing Equity for 2SLGBTQIA+ Workers in Canada with the Employment Equity Act

September 15, 2025 Contractor 60

To read this policy brief as a PDF, please scroll to the bottom of the page. Employment equity has been a priority for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Canada for over 50 years. At the August 28, 1971 “We Demand” rally, the first cross-country gay rights demonstration in Canada, activists presented a list of demands to the Government of Canada, including the right to equal employment and promotion (Kinsman & Gentile 2010). As of 2018, human rights legislation in Canada now protects workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and yet 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Canada continue to...

12Sep

Forward Together

September 12, 2025 Contractor 64

Today marks the launch of #ForwardTogether—a national campaign to finally bring 2SLGBTQIA+ workers into the heart of Canada’s Employment Equity Act. For decades, Canada’s employment equity framework has recognized women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. But 2SLGBTQI+ workers remain invisible in the data, unprotected by policy, and excluded from the full promise of equity at work. The result? Persistent wage gaps, higher unemployment, and barriers that keep our communities on the margins. This September, as part of Lobby Day, 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders and allies from across the country are heading to Parliament Hill to demand action....

03Sep

Pride at Work Canada joins the Canada Life Capacity Building Program

September 3, 2025 Contractor 59

Pride at Work Canada/Fierté au travail Canada is proud to announce that we have been selected to participate in the Canada Life Capacity Building Program, an initiative created to support nonprofits and charities across the country in achieving Imagine Canada Standards accreditation. This opportunity is a major milestone for our organization. Accreditation will strengthen our governance, financial oversight, talent management, volunteer engagement, and risk management practices. It also ensures that Pride at Work Canada is well-positioned to meet the challenges facing our communities with resilience, transparency, and accountability. As Executive Director Colin Druhan (he/him) shared in his announcement to staff:...

25Jul

Roundtable on the Status of 2SLGBTQIA+ Human Rights Ottawa

July 25, 2025 Contractor 87

On July 16, 2025, Pride at Work Canada / Fierté au travail Canada co-hosted a roundtable in Ottawa with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Canada. The goal: to explore how our two countries can learn from each other in advancing the human rights and economic inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. We were joined by leaders from across sectors—civil society, government, and private industry—each bringing unique perspectives and lived experiences. The conversation moved between national policy, local realities, and everyday workplace practices. Together, we explored what it means to embed inclusion into economic systems, not just as a...

11Jun

Pride at Work Canada Closes Toronto Stock Exchange in Recognition of Pride Month

June 11, 2025 Contractor 104

TORONTO, June 11, 2025 – Pride at Work Canada/Fierté au travail Canada assembled a group of its Community and Proud Partners today alongside representatives of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TMX Group) to close the market in recognition of Toronto’s Pride Month and the contributions of 2SLGBTQIA+ employees in Canada’s labour market. This event reflects a growing recognition that uplifting human rights is a strategic business imperative, particularly in the face of coordinated attacks on the rights and freedoms of queer and trans communities. By championing workplaces that celebrate Canada in all of its diversity, employers are empowering current and future...

09Jun

“You belong here.”

June 9, 2025 Contractor 103

As we welcome Pride Month—officially recognized in Manitoba for the first time—the words, “You belong here” spoken by The Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, continue to echo through my head. They thundered through the Manitoba Legislative Building on May 29, where history was made: the first drag performance in a Canadian legislature, a bold $2.5 million investment in spaces for queer elders, and new support for 2S, queer, and trans rural Manitobans. The room wasn’t filled with fear. There was no talk of rollbacks or backlash. No concerns about looking “respectable enough” to be taken seriously. Just joy, affirmation,...

20May

“When they roll back, we double down”

May 20, 2025 Contractor 123

The following statement can be attributed to Colin Druhan, Executive Director, Pride at Work Canada / Fierté au travail Canada: In recent months, mainstream media coverage has fixated on the decision of a small number of companies to pause corporate support for this year’s Pride celebrations. Much of this reporting has relied on overly simplistic narratives that ignore well-documented economic pressures, including a looming recession and the broader fallout from ongoing trade instability between the United States and Canada. To Pride at Work Canada’s knowledge, many of these decisions are not the result of values-based backpedaling, but rather a combination...

18Mar

Beyond Borders: See you in Winnipeg!

March 18, 2025 Contractor 157

This is the fourth and final installment of Beyond Borders, a series exploring how queer and trans employees navigate the evolving landscape of business travel. In previous editions, we examined the impact of political shifts in the United States and the challenges of corporate activism. Now, we turn to a city that exemplifies what it means to move beyond performance and into action: Winnipeg. Originally posted on LinkedIn. For years, my birthday tradition was an escape to Palm Springs, where the August off-season meant quiet streets and endless sunshine. But with the Canadian dollar making U.S. travel less appealing this...

11Mar

Beyond Borders: What Can We Learn from the Sunshine State?

March 11, 2025 editor 176

This is the third installment of Beyond Borders, a four-part series exploring the emerging challenges and opportunities of business travel for queer and trans employees amid rising polarization. Originally posted to LinkedIn. When tragedy struck Orlando’s queer community on June 12, 2016, the response was immediate and unified. The Pulse nightclub shooting, then the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, sent shockwaves around the world. In the days and weeks that followed, the question everyone asked was: How can we help? The international response prioritized support for survivors, the families of victims, and the broader queer and trans community in...

05Mar

Pride at Work Canada Partners with EHRC to Champion 2SLGBTQIA+ Inclusion Across the Electricity Sector

March 5, 2025 editor 123

CALGARY, March 5, 2025 – Pride at Work Canada/Fierté au travail Canada, in partnership with Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), is launching an initiative to advance the Canadian electricity sector as an inclusive environment for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. With financial support from Women and Gender Equality Canada, this joint project will address the sector’s projected workforce shortage over the coming years while strengthening workplace safety and inclusion across the industry. Canada’s electricity sector is facing a looming talent crisis as it has grown, significantly outpacing several other sectors. The electricity sector has seen 12 per cent growth over the past five...

04Mar

Beyond Borders: Do Travel Boycotts Work?

March 4, 2025 editor 175

This is the second installment of Beyond Borders, a four-part series exploring the emerging challenges and opportunities of business travel for queer and trans employees amid rising polarization. Originally posted on LinkedIn. In light of dramatic shifts in U.S. domestic policy, Canadian companies are questioning whether sending employees across the border aligns with their duty of care. At the same time, economic nationalism is on the rise, and some are calling for more aggressive corporate activism, including boycotts of U.S. travel and investment. But do travel boycotts actually work? The Logic Behind Boycotts The idea is simple: By refusing to...

27Feb

Board Chair Katia Aubin speaks with CBC Montreal During Winter Pride 2025

February 27, 2025 editor 132

In advance of Winter Pride 2025, Board Chair Katia Aubin spoke with CBC Montreal’s Douglas Gelevan about the growing concerns among queer and trans communities in response to the rollback of DEI programs in the U.S. She also highlights how Pride at Work Canada is reframing the conversation, shifting focus to a broader human rights narrative. Watch the interview below. Read Pride at Work Canada’s “Our Communities Are in Crisis” statement here: https://prideatwork.ca/crisis/

25Feb

Beyond Borders: Should Canadian Companies Rethink Employee Travel to the U.S.?

February 25, 2025 editor 173

This is the first installment of Beyond Borders, a four-part series exploring the emerging challenges and opportunities of business travel for queer and trans employees amid rising polarization. Originally posted on LinkedIn. For many Canadian employers, cross-border travel is a business necessity. But as new U.S. policies heighten risks for trans and nonbinary workers, companies must grapple with a difficult question: how to balance employee safety with operational needs in an increasingly polarized climate. With hostility toward trans communities on the rise, Canadian organizations are being forced to reconsider the implications of sending employees across the border. For some, the...

13Feb

Statement to our Proud Partners

February 13, 2025 editor 146

To our Proud Partners, I’m reaching out to you, our valued network, because our community is in crisis. The anti-gender movement is intensifying its attacks on queer and trans people in Canada. For weeks, I’ve been hearing from employees across the country. Some are concerned, others terrified. Your leadership as a Proud Partner has never been more vital. As an employer committed to human rights, reaffirming your place in our network is essential because: Human rights are non-negotiable. These are legal obligations, not optional corporate values. Proactively taking steps to reinforce human rights goes a long way to prevent anti-queer...

09Jan

How Can Training and Development at Pride at Work Canada Help You: Discover the THRIVE Program

January 9, 2025 Contractor 129

At Pride at Work Canada, we are dedicated to fostering inclusive workplace cultures through training and leadership development programs tailored to empower Two-Spirit, queer, and trans professionals. One of our flagship initiatives, THRIVE, is a ten-week virtual leadership program designed to cultivate the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders in Canadian businesses. Here’s what you need to know about THRIVE and how it can transform your professional journey: What is THRIVE? THRIVE is a virtual leadership development program that equips Two-Spirit, queer, and trans individuals with the skills and confidence to excel in leadership roles within inclusive workplaces. Participants will gain...

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