Coca-Cola Canada is approaching Pride Month a little differently this year.

The company’s LGTBQA Business Resource Group (BRG) announced earlier this month that the company would continue to offer virtual Pride Month celebrations for employees. However, the BRG has also used their platform to support an important dialogue about intersectional allyship and diversity. 

“It’s extremely important that we keep Pride Month alive and amplify all voices that exist within our system,” said Mark Lawton, president of the LGTBQA BRG at Coca-Cola Canada. “We’re deeply committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming environment for all our employees, and Pride Month is really the spark that lights up a lot of important conversations around these affairs.”

Coca-Cola’s LGTBQA BRG is committed to creating an environment where people feel comfortable bringing their “whole selves to work”. This year, the BRG has been offering employees a number of resources to become better allies for all marginalized groups.

Lawton explained that all Pride Month activities were moved online given the COVID-19 health pandemic and encompass wide variety of informative, engaging and highly interactive activities.

Among them include a storytelling campaign, where employees share personal and relatable tales about their own experiences within the LGBTQA community; a photo contest to “Show Your Pride” and identify yourself as an ally; and a virtual drag show.

As well, the LGTBQA BRG has partnered with Coca-Cola’s Pan-African BRG to provide additional resources on allyship and the intersectionality between the two groups. This includes sharing Yoruba Richen’s TEDTalk, What the Gay Rights Movement Learned from the Civil Rights Movement, with employees hoping to create a healthy dialogue on how the two movements intertwine and propel each other forward.

“Whether you’re an ally or you identify with these communities, it’s important to empower and uplift the voices of marginalized groups. There is strength in numbers and unity is key,” said Sheena Lloyd, Customer Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola Ltd. “Sharing stories of intersectionality are important to inspire people to believe that positive changes will come, and you are not fighting for it alone.”

Lloyd is a member of both the LGBTQA BRG and the Pan-African BRG at Coca-Cola and is extremely passionate about allyship.

To further support the LGBTQA community during Pride Month, Coca-Cola Ltd. donated over 500 cases of juice to non-for-profit organization, Toronto People with AIDS Foundation (PWA) that will go directly to helping vulnerable Torontonians during the COVID-19 crisis.

Members of the BRG also organized a clothing drive for  Resilience Montreal in Quebec.  

The company’s LGBTQA BRG is also a proud member of Pride at Work Canada and works together with them to advocate for changes in the workplace.

In fact, Pride at Work’s weekly webinar series in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was an inspiration for Coca-Cola’s decision to pivot Pride Month into a virtual celebration.

This year, Canadians across the country have raised rainbow, transgender and Black Lives Matter flags and signage – a symbol for justice, equality and freedom for all bodies.

“Coca-Cola’s LGTBQA BRG has moved quickly to ensure that our community and allies within our system can celebrate, learn and become empowered,” Lawton added.  “And I’m just very proud to see it all come together.”

The company’s LGBTQA BRG continues to plan their year with a full calendar of activities; committed to ensuring that Pride isn’t a moment in time, but rather something you can celebrate, experience and support 365 days a year.