Every year in June, Pride Month is celebrated across the world. Beyond celebrating the beautiful spectrum of gender and sexuality and electrifying rainbow parades; Pride is about creating safe spaces, fighting for equal rights, showing up for and protecting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, honouring their voices and those who’ve paved the way.
Here at Coast, our people are our pride—and we’re pleased to elevate three inspiring Coast employees who share about their personal journeys, what Pride means to them, and fostering a culture of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace.
Jamie, Credit Solutions Associate (they/she)
How do you celebrate Pride and what does it mean to you?
For me, Pride is something I celebrate every day; I celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ community and myself, and the uniqueness and love we radiate. Pride is about surrounding 2SLGBTQIA+ folks with love and light, giving them platforms to speak their truths, and space to motivate the changes our world urgently needs. Our rights are human rights, and we deserve to be here and feel protected. 2SLGBTQIA+ people are everywhere, and we always have been.
What does the term non-binary mean to you?
If you were to ask a non-binary person what the term “non-binary” means to them, you would likely get a rainbow of answers, and I think that’s so special. To me, non-binary means rejecting the concept of gender; I’m not a woman or man, nor do I feel like I fit into anything between. It really is a matter of existing for me; I don’t want (or need) to be categorized by societal expectations.
What changes would you like to see create more inclusive environments for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals?
I hope we get a better understanding that gender is a social construct, and we do not need to categorize everything into “boy/girl” all the time. When we take gender out of the forefront of our society, we see people express themselves in a more authentic way and allow them to take the time to focus on their uniqueness.
I sometimes find myself holding back being my true self in certain spaces, worrying of queer-phobic actions toward me and my loved ones. I want to navigate life, professionally and personally, as me! I’m so grateful for the people who’ve been a part of my journey to feel whole by accepting me and allowing me to take up space as my complete self.
Jamie is also the co-chair of Coast’s 2SLGBTQIA+ employee resource group, the Pride Inclusivity Network.
Dinuka, Director, Investment Operations (he/him)
Can you tell us about your personal journey with your identity and how it has shaped who you are today?
I was born in Sri Lanka and my family moved to Canada when I was very young. I grew up in Vancouver always feeling different as a person of colour. While we often hear the struggles young 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals experience when they come out, I was very lucky to have a supportive family who accepted me. Although I grew up in a very supportive home, outside home wasn’t always easy. I struggled for acceptance within communities that I identified with. People of colour often found it hard to accept my sexual identity and I wasn’t always welcomed with open arms by 2SLGBTQIA+ people either.
How do you create safe and inclusive spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in the workplace and in your community?
I come from a rugby family, and I grew up playing rugby. Rugby historically has been a very Anglo-Saxon, heterosexual male sport and hasn’t always been very welcoming of 2SLGBTQIA+ and people of colour. Rugby was important to me on many levels, and I wasn’t about to give up on a sport that was such a big part of my family identity and my upbringing. It was for these reasons that I, along with my partner at the time, started Vancouver Rogues Rugby in 2002; the first rugby club in Canada to promote the sport of rugby to underrepresented groups. We wanted to give everyone a safe and comfortable environment to be themselves.
At work, I use the principle of giving everyone a safe and comfortable environment to be themselves and I see people thriving and being very productive because they don’t have to worry about hiding anything.
Dinuka is also a member of Coast’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council.
Cristiane, Relationship Manager (she/her)
How do you celebrate Pride and what does it mean to you?
Pride means a lot to me and my family because it’s all about acceptance and equality. Pride is about being proud of who you are no matter who you love. It is about celebrating the work of 2SLGBTQIA+ people, education in 2SLGBTQIA+ history, raising awareness of issues affecting the community, and speaking up on the damages and harm caused by 2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination.
Can you tell us about your personal journey with your identity and how it has shaped who you are today?
I’m from Brazil and moved to Canada with my wife in 2015 as we were looking for a place to live with more acceptance than what we were facing back home. I am a cisgender bisexual woman. We were contemplating the idea of having a family at the time, but we didn’t feel safe to have that dream accomplished in our country of origin. When my wife and I started dating, we did not wait long to tell our friends and family about our relationship. We lost friends and both broke apart from our families at the time we came out.
What changes would you like to see create more inclusive environments for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals?
It is for me very important to mention that in the workplace, studies have shown that up to 22% of 2SLGBTQIA+ people say they have personally experienced anti-2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination when it comes to being paid equally or considered for promotion, and 20% report this discrimination when applying for jobs. I really hope for the world and all of us to understand and acknowledge that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and understand how it can be interconnected with social categorizations such as race, class, and gender and the overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Cristiane is also a member of Coast’s 2SLGBTQIA+ employee resource group, the Pride Inclusivity Network.
Pride is more than just a month. At Coast, we are committed to showing up and advancing a culture of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion, beyond June. We have more work to do in building a more inclusive future, but we are in it for the long haul.
To learn more about our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) strategy and our commitment to inclusion, please visit coastcapitalsavings.com/EDI
Coast Capital has long been committed to inclusion and championing people. As a proud Certified B Corporation, we are part of a community of leaders building a more just and inclusive economy to create opportunities for people of all backgrounds, lived experiences, and worldviews. Many people across Canada face economic and social barriers, and these inequities disproportionately impact those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC), women, and people with disabilities. We are committed to addressing systemic inequities and unlocking financial opportunities so that no person or community is excluded.
