To all members of our unique and diverse community, we hear the calls for change. Taking an organization through unlearning, learning, and systemic changes takes time. Calgary Pride is dedicated to this process.
Calgary Pride began wading into conversations about the impacts of racism in our community in 2016, and over the past two years we have explicitly embarked on anti-racism efforts that continue today. We are by no means finished; there is still work to be done.
Our board and executive leadership have been working toward formative changes within our board composition, operational leadership, and volunteer leadership structures, as well as to our recruitment processes. We are committed to ensuring the representation of the most marginalized in our community. Our board and executive leadership need to reflect these communities. Changes will be announced at our Annual General Meeting to be held prior to March 31, 2021.
There have been accusations of racism, nepotism, and unprofessional conduct levelled at the board and leadership of Calgary Pride. Some of these accusations are not supported by the evidence available, but harm has clearly been experienced, and we must take all allegations of this nature seriously. As a result, we have taken immediate and short-term measures to respond to this situation as a third party assessment is completed. This will ensure we are acting on the truth instead of perception. We are committed to sharing the findings of this assessment with the community.
To those who feel marginalized or shut out, we need you to be part of this journey and are committed to hearing your concerns and working together.
To share your experiences or thoughts, please visit calgarypride.ca/contact.
