Pride is a time when people around the world come together to celebrate uniqueness and inclusion, in light of recent events even corporate institutions in the Caribbean are partnering with members of the LGBTQ+ to highlight their inclusion of the community.
Scotiabank released a video PSA that showcased several LGBTQ+ Caribbean faces, sharing their personal stories, as the company continues to build an inclusive workplace that fosters opportunities for LGBTQ+ communities in the Caribbean diaspora.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
President and CEO, Brian Porter of Scotiabank, recently shared “Together, we are building a Bank that is strengthened by our differences, not divided by them; that calls out the injustice of all forms when we see it, and that strives to use every opportunity to make better, stronger societies today, and for generations to come.”
Globally, Pride is an important celebration for Scotiabankers. The bank has seen Pride as an opportunity to gather, celebrate, and raise awareness for LGBT+ inclusion. Historically, LGBT+ people across the world come together during Pride to celebrate and honour all it means to be LGBT+. In 2019, 2500+ Scotiabankers marched in Pride parades across Canada and Latin America.
“What we try to accomplish every day is to prioritize LGBT+ inclusion. We strive to create an inclusive culture where every employee is empowered to reach their fullest potential, respected for who they are, and their differences and similarities are embraced. We unlock our employees’ potential through bias-free practices and one set of inclusive values across Scotiabank,” says Jody Jacobson, Director of Diversity and Inclusion.
Caribbean countries which Time magazine dubbed in 2006 as “the most homophobic place on Earth” is the scene of a major battle to overturn British colonial-era laws that ban same-sex intimacy. The “buggery law” is rarely enforced but keeping it on the statute books marginalizes LGBT people and sanctions violence and discrimination against them, some LGBTQ activists have argued.
The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) is in the throes of legal challenges in five countries that still outlaw “buggery” and “indecency”, effectively criminalizing gay people.
Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, and St Kitts and Nevis all have versions of statutes that prohibit same-sex acts between consenting adults.
However, Scotiabank’s Pride celebrations have adapted in response to the pandemic and the world’s first Global Pride celebration will take place online, bringing together Pride festivals from across the world on Saturday, June 27th.
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