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
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
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.*
Fernie Pride Society acknowledges the financial support of Women and Gender Equality Canada.