Pride 2017: Dykes on bikes and an orange "BI" sticker

Pride 2017: Dykes on bikes and an orange "BI" sticker

Pride Toronto 2017 was my first time participating in a Pride festival.

From what I had heard, Pride is a weekend to go all out, which is why I decided to sign up for three separate TD volunteer activities. I knew my weekend was going to be busy, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see what was in store for me!

My first activity: The Dyke March

As I waited alone by the starting gates, I felt a certain atmosphere hovering along Church Street and beyond. I was standing in a space where "normal" was redefined, where societal ideas of dress code, gender and sexuality uprooted themselves and gave way to an infinite spectrum of possibility. Here I felt proud to wear a big orange sticker that said "BI" on my chest, front and centre. It wasn't a statement, but a fact to share in this special space where so many peeled away their conventional layers to show their true selves.

While a corporate setting might be a bit more conservative than Pride, working at TD has proven to me that I needn't hide away parts of myself at work. I feel free to share details of my life just as any straight colleague would. The environment at TD is something I never fail to appreciate, and I want to contribute to it by being open myself and by taking advantage of opportunities (like Pride) to give back to the community.

2 PM drew near and the Church and Hayden intersection slowly filled with people. It wasn't until I compared two photos I'd taken—one near 1 PM and one 45 minutes later—that I truly grasped the scale of the Dyke March.

Given that it was my first Pride, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew I was about to find out.

Finally, we took our first steps forward. Cheers rang through the crowd and motorcycles revved from the Toronto chapter of Dykes on Bikes.

Before we'd even reached Bloor, I was already beaming and I didn't know why. Maybe it was the handmade signs or the chants shouted by energetic volunteers. Maybe it was the group in front of me bouncing to the samba-inspired rhythms. Or maybe it was the overwhelming sense of togetherness I felt looking over the heads of so many like-minded people that marched alongside me.

I thought I may have bit off more than I could chew when I signed up for three separate activities as a TD volunteer. But at the same time, how could I not take advantage of the opportunities TD provided to get involved with a cause so near and dear to my heart? I can say that I don't regret one moment of it. To look around at a community of people - like myself - and know with certainty that TD has visibly supported, promoted and profiled the LGBTQ community is truly a privilege.

As I brought my gaze back down to earth, turning onto Yonge Street, I looked down its length. The sidewalks lined with people waiting to cheer us on and tell us, by their mere presence, that they supported us. There were no barriers between them and us. Anyone could join or leave as they needed or wanted. And so, surrounded by people like me, we marched, each step taking us closer toward a future where no barriers existed at all.

Brooke White

Employer Brand, Employee Experience & DEIB Strategy

6y

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