Both Canmore and Banff Pride organizations aim to foster inclusivity within the Bow Valley and surrounding areas.
Businesses who are a part of the Bow Valley Pride Network are committed to creating safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Being a part of the network includes completing 9 steps toward being a more inclusive space which includes accountability and growth when mistakes are made.
By being a part of the Bow Valley Pride Network, local businesses and organizations are able to form a collective of safe, affirmative spaces. Folks who interact with this network of businesses can expect to feel welcomed, respected and authentically themselves regardless of sexuality, gender, expression and/or identity. Businesses and organizations who are a part of the Bow Valley Pride Network will be listed on both the Canmore Pride and Banff Pride websites for recognition to the public community.
Any business or organization interested in joining the Bow Valley Pride Network is required to successfully meet the 9 actionable steps listed in the PDF below. Resources have been provided for businesses to learn and educate from organizations such as Pride at Work, Skipping Stone, Calgary Outlink, Canadian Mental Health Association, the Micropedia of Microaggressions and PFLAG Canada. Please visit bowvalleypridenetwork.ca for more information or if you feel your organization or business has achieved the 9 steps and you wish to be a member of the Bow Valley Pride Network.
Resources for Businesses
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Pride at Work Canada
Recommended Resources:
Know Your Rights: A Guide for LGBTQ2+ Employees
Beyond Diversity: An LGBT Best Practice Guide for Employers
Hiring Across All Spectrums: A Report on Broadening Opportunities for LGBTQ2+ Jobseekers
Transitioning Employers: A survey of policies and practices for trans inclusive workplaces
Building the evidence base about economic, health and social inequities faced by LGBTQ2S-Plus individuals in Canada
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Skipping Stone
Gender Diversity: the basics
Recommended Content:
TRANS INCLUSIVITY 101 Poster
Using Gender Neutral Language
Bathroom Argument Explanation
5 Non-Binary Folks Explain What It Means to Them
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Calgary Outlink
You Matter 2SLGBTQ+ Peer Support and Resource Line
You Matter is a non-crisis peer support and resource line for 2SLGBTQ+ community members in Calgary, run by Calgary Outlink.
You can call about anything you’re looking for support with, including identity, relationships, coming out, transitioning, community, resources, and more!
(587) 800-4121
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Canadian Mental Health Association
LGBTQ2S+ Resources and Information
Seventy-four per cent of Canadians know someone who is LGBTQ2S+, and 40 per cent of the LGBTQ2S+ community have experienced discrimination. People who are LGBTQ2S+ are more likely to experience declining mental health because of the pandemic. CMHA believes that having healthy and supportive places to live, work, play and learn can protect the mental health of those in the LGBTQ2S+ community.
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The Micropedia of Microaggressions
Microaggressions are everyday snubs and insults that marginalized groups face. They're often very subtle comments or actions that come from implicit bias and/or stereotypes. They might seem like a compliment (“You're beautiful for a transgender girl”), a harmless comment (“Where are you really from?”), or a subconscious action (crossing the street to avoid a racialized person).
Do the work. Learn about implicit bias and the impact of microaggressions. Understand that you aren’t the first to cause harm to this person. The more you know, the less likely you are to make the mistake again.
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PFLAG Canada
LGBTQ2S SUPPORT
Recommended Resources:
The 519: Creating Authentic Spaces: A Gender Identity and Gender Expression Toolkit to Support the Implementation of Institutional and Social Change.
Egale: A guide to 2SLGBTQI Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)