2SLGBTQI Workplace Inclusion

Egale offers private, public and not-for-profit sector organizations reliable, high-quality training and development for professional, management and organizational development on both a local and national scale. We aim to help clients develop the strategy, motivation, and accountability required to foster 2SLGBTQI inclusion and safer space.

Egale promotes and fosters the human rights and equitable inclusion of Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex (2SLGBTQI) people in community, schools, and work through consultation, programs and services, training & development and community engagement.

By recruiting, retaining and advancing 2SLGBTQI employees, organizations increase their ability to compete for talent, minimize attrition costs, and gain wider access to 2SLGBTQI consumer markets.

There is greater demand for and increased value of companies stocks because of expected benefits of diversity and inclusion policies. Top 5 companies with currently most popular stocks have LGBTI inclusive policies in place  – CNN Business, 2019

30%

of LGBTQ employees in Canada report experiencing discrimination in the workplace compared to only 3% of non-LGBTQ employees

49%

of trans people are turned down or suspect they were turned down for a job because they were trans

30%

of openly 2SLGBTQI people leave their workplaces because they feel unwelcome or unsupported by management.

92%

of the top 50 Fortune 500 companies feel that diversity policies (including sexual orientation and gender identity) are good for business.

Workplace Inclusion for Gender and Sexual Diversity is a 90-minute live facilitated interactive training session that introduces participants to the diverse identities and experiences captured by the 2SLGBTQI acronym, and gets them thinking about the workplace norms and practices that contribute to an unwelcoming atmosphere for 2SLGBTQI identifying persons. These ideas are then used to ground a discussion on the importance of respectful and inclusive language. Participants will gain awareness of the critical importance of fostering safer and more inclusive work spaces, and will leave with tips on how to be more affirming and supportive in their interactions with 2SLGBTQI colleagues, clients/guests, and other interested parties. This is a foundational training that everyone should start their 2SLGBTQI inclusion journey with and our best seller.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

2SLGBTQI Workplace Inclusion: Considerations for Leadership explores what it means to lead 2SLGBTQI-inclusive teams. Discrimination based on gender and sexuality can manifest in a multitude of overt and subtle ways across workplace that can have significant impacts on the organization and its staff. Participants will learn to use a three-lens model to uncover potential barriers for 2SLGBTQI people within the organization’s existing practices and consider more inclusive alternatives. By exploring promising practices across functional areas, participants will leave equipped with concrete, practical tips for leading inclusion efforts within their workplace.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

Trans Inclusion in the Workplace: Fostering Inclusive Teams introduces teams to basic concepts and practical tips for supporting gender diverse staff within the organization. Discussion topics include trans and non-binary identities, gender affirming transitions, common barriers to workplace inclusion for trans and non-binary people, and best practices around language and personal information. First-person accounts of trans workplace experiences and interactive Q&A help participants to connect concepts and reflect on what they can do to support trans and non-binary colleagues. This session provides a safe arena for participants to develop shared understandings of what it means to work in a trans-positive workplace. The session is delivered by a facilitator with a trans lived experience enabling them to speak to content through direct experience, while also lending concreteness and immediacy to the material and supporting empathy-building in participants.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

Trans Inclusion in the Workplace: Considerations for Managers and Supervisors explores what it means to lead gender-diverse teams. Transphobia can manifest in a multitude of overt and subtle ways across workplace, from interpersonal interactions to structural barriers. This session invites participants to reflect on existing organizational and personal practices that might be presenting barriers for trans and non-binary staff and consider more inclusive alternatives. By exploring best practices for inclusion across functional areas, participants will also develop a foundational understanding of their potential role in supporting staff transitioning in the workplace.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

Sports Inclusion for Gender and Sexual Diversity is an interactive session where participants are introduced to gender identity and gender expression as components of a person’s identity and as grounds protected in human rights legislation. Learners will also explore the ways in which popular myths and traditional sports structures continue to disenfranchise trans and gender diverse Canadian athletes. Consideration will be given to how these issues play out in both competitive and recreational sport environments, and to how coaches, administrators, umpires, and members can help to foster safer and more inclusive spaces for trans and gender diverse persons in the organization.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

2SLGBTQI History in Canada explores the evolution of societal perceptions and attitudes toward 2SLGBTQI people from pre-colonialization to today. Participants will gain an understanding of the events, including Pride, that have influenced Canadian society and continue to shape 2SLGBTQI communities. This session will discuss Indigenous, Black, and Western contributions to our understanding of 2SLGBTQI history and how these perspectives inform our current advocacy. This is our latest learning product which is a particularly great option to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) which was created in Canada, the Pride Month or other notable 2SLGBTQI awareness day.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person

2SLGBTQI Inclusion for Mental Health and Social Service Providers​ invites participants to delve into the complex natures of human gender, attraction, and personal identity. Participants will consider the impacts of cultural and structural biases within Canada’s mental health systems on the mental health and well-being of 2SLGBTQI people. These ideas are then used to ground discussions sensitizing participants to practices that can compromise client trust and use inclusive language as a component of fostering safer and more inclusive services and programs. Participants will leave the session equipped with strategies that can be implemented immediately in their professional practice, along with further resources to support their continued learning. This training has been designed for psychologists, mental health nurses, counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers, personal support workers, palliative, and long-term care workers.

Available formats:

• Webinar
• In-person