Supporting LGBTQ2+ initiatives outside our company, and within

What does it mean when a company says it supports the LGBTQ2+ community?

Is it enough to demonstrate such support through sponsorship of Pride festivals and parades? How about display banners and branded merchandise?

These are important strategic questions for company leaders to consider when reflecting on their organization's culture and overall place in the conversation around LGBTQ2+ human rights.

So, what is support really supposed to look like?

I am proud to work for a company where we reflect on that question frequently so that we can see how we're doing, and how we can do more. After all, support is a concept and practice that evolves over time, and takes on different meaning depending on who is being asked.

Over the years, TD has raised the industry standard as its support for LGBTQ2+ community has grown bigger and louder.

In communities everywhere, support – yes – is seen at our massive presence at the 83 Pride celebrations that take place across North America each year, with TD being the first major bank in Canada to support a Pride festival back in 2005. Support is also shown through TD's stance against discrimination toward the transgender community.

And support is shown through our global citizenship platform The Ready Commitment, which has targeted a total of $1 billion by 2030 towards community giving. This initiative builds on our longstanding history of giving across Canada, and locally, to BC-based organizations such as Out in Schools, the LOUD Scholarship Foundation, QMUNITY, and Lezervations.

But supporting the LGBTQ2+ community also means looking inward to ensure we create and maintain an equitable workplace.

In 1994, TD was the first bank in Canada to introduce same-sex spousal benefits. In 2008, we were the first bank in Canada to provide gender affirmation surgery benefits support to employees and their families. In 2016, we adopted all gender restrooms as a building design standard for new and renovated retail locations.

And this year, we enhanced our gender affirmation benefits coverage for our transgender colleagues, becoming one of the first organizations in Canada to provide this level of holistic support for our transgender colleagues.

But in addition to these employment benefits, we recognize the importance of showing support in our day to day interactions. This includes being thoughtful about language-use that respects and honours a person's identity. It means learning about the historical contexts and imagining oneself in the shoes of another to better appreciate the nuances when collaborating with colleagues.

It means going beyond having a workplace that is diverse, but one that is inclusive so that colleagues from different backgrounds can feel free to offer their perspective. This is a major reason why we  launched a LGBTQ2+ mentorship program this year here in the Pacific Region to help build the leaders of tomorrow.

At TD, we celebrate our colleagues for drawing upon their unique qualities and experience to deliver their best. If this sounds like a place you would like to be, please check out job opportunities here in the Pacific Region to join an organization where everyone, no matter their background is valued, respected and, of course: supported.