Elk Valley Capacity Project
& Employer Resources

To improve 2SLGBTQ+ inclusivity and equity, Fernie Pride Society seeks to strengthen its capacity, allowing it to create advocacy and education campaigns and to develop and implement sustainable, regionally appropriate solutions to 2SLGBTQ+ issues. As the next step in these efforts, the Fernie Pride Society is consulting its residents, visitors, and community stakeholders to fully understand the 2SLGBTQ+ community needs and the local barriers to complete social, cultural, and economic inclusion.

At project completion, Fernie Pride desires to have the required information to develop appropriate community interventions and seek the funding and resources needed to deliver them.

Recommendations that arose from the Project survey results were:

celebrate sexual fluidity
extend throughout the entirety of the Elk Valley and beyond
launch a community resource centre
create a support network for healthcare and education professionals
take it outdoors
launch a wellness taskforce (mental, sexual, medical)
collaborate for success
meet with stakeholders to discuss research findings and share recommendations for creating and supporting diverse and inclusive environments and communities

Where we are at now in the Elk Valley 2SLGBTQ+ Community Capacity Project?

We have been busy! Fernie Pride Society is currently in the midst of creating or organizing multiple initiatives that have arisen from the survey results. These initiatives include:

Ally Tookit
Employer Inclusion Guide
Columbia Basin 2SLGBTQ+ Conference (Fall 2022)
Business and Employer Education Series with the Fernie Chamber of Commerce
expanding and updating our website Resource page
stakeholder and municipal government engagement sessions and presentations
creation of the Columbia Basin 2SLGBTQ+ Network

Employer Inclusion Guide

DIVERSITY VS INCLUSION (VS EQUITY)

There is and it’s an important one. In short, diversity is the “what” and inclusion is the “how”. Diversity focuses on the makeup of your workforce while inclusion is the creation of a workplace and work culture that enables all employees and customers to participate and thrive – they literally feel included. As diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) educator Verna Myers perfectly explains, “Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

Needs Assessment & Final Report

Fernie Pride Society would like to thank our volunteer Advisory Group and survey respondents for helping to inform this Project and for bravely sharing their experiences with us. Working together, we will bring to life our vision of a safe, inclusive Elk Valley for 2SLGBTQ+ people that celebrates uniqueness and diversity.

Needs Assessment

Elk Valley Diversity and Inclusion Needs Assessment Results July 2021

Final Report

Strengthening Community Capacity for Inclusion in BC’s Elk Valley August 2021

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Job Description Gender Decoder

The Gender Decoder analyzes job descriptions to determine if the language used is gender biased.

Without realising it, we all use language that is subtly ‘gender-coded’. Society has certain expectations of what men and women are like, and how they differ, and this seeps into the language we use. Think about “bossy” and “feisty”: we almost never use these words to describe men.

This linguistic gender-coding shows up in job adverts as well, and research has shown that it puts women off applying for jobs that are advertised with masculine-coded language.*