Tugboat Logic is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we want to acknowledge and celebrate all the voices and experiences across our company. Last week, Tugboat Logic kicked off Pride Month … A Time to Reflect, to Observe and to Celebrate. It started with an internal blog looking at the history of Pride and discussing the importance of diversity within our company. But then it became something more significant and extraordinary.
A Tugboat crew member planted a seed of an idea that has grown into a month-long celebration. Led by this same crew member, his husband, and four exceptional guests, we hosted a roundtable conversation. It was a remarkable event that almost all of our team attended! The stories shared were both funny and gut-wrenching but, most of all, moving.
Throughout the rest of June, Tugboat Logic embraces and celebrates the uniqueness in all of us. Through internal posts, we’re encouraging visits to historic sites in Canada and the United States and diving deeper into the history of the LGTBQ+ community. We’re looking at Pride through the eyes and ears of LGBTQ+ artists and musicians, reflecting on how the LGBTQ+ community has influenced the world of tech and sharing thought-provoking TED Talks.
What Does Pride Mean?
Writing this blog as a cisgender woman, you might be wondering why I’m doing this. Or, I would hope, and much more importantly, “What does Pride mean to me and to you?”
In my personal life, Pride is about the people I care for deeply having the opportunity to live their truth and be their authentic selves. To live without fear of retribution, stigmatism, or discrimination. To truly celebrate who they are—the very special humans I know them to be.
One of our guest panelists shared, “We’re here all the time, Pride week or month. It doesn’t matter anymore. Pride is all the time. Pride is the ability to be free, to be me without being concerned about what people think.” I couldn’t have said it better.
At work, it means diversity. And I don’t mean the kind you cross off a checklist. But rather something we openly celebrate because when we’re truly inclusive, we are stronger. Through our personal experiences, every single Tugboat Logic crew member brings something unique to our collective culture. I believe that the more accepting and supportive we are of each other, the more we can build on one another’s strengths. Together we’re stronger, more creative and infinitely more successful. We may be small like actual tugboats, but we are just as mighty.
How to Support Pride
Pride month is a very important time. It’s an opportunity to continue recognizing the significance and impact the LGBTQ+ community has and continues to have, in history. And to celebrate resilience. I can never begin to understand the depth of this statement as I am unable to walk in their shoes. I’m on the periphery and do not have any lived experiences as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. However, what I can do—what we can all do—is be an ally.
Now you’re probably wondering what it means to be an ally or how to become one. There’s a lot you can do. A small but meaningful start is including your pronouns in your email signature like she, he, or they. You can also use them when you introduce yourself in person. For example, I say, “Hi, I’m Sharon and I use the pronouns she, her and hers. What are yours?”
Educating yourself is powerful. There’s endless information readily available on the web. You can ask thoughtful questions but first, do your research. Donate to LGBTQ+ causes even when it’s not Pride Month. Most importantly, stand up, notice and listen. Pride parades and events are a celebration of love and acceptance. But allyship is about making room for the LGBTQ+ community, lifting them up and hearing their voice every day of the year.
Tugboat Logic Supports Diversity and Inclusion
While Tugboaters are honoring and celebrating Pride throughout June, it’s a priority for us all the time. These values come to life through our policies and practices that support LGBTQ+ crew members and promote equality throughout Tugboat Logic.
Integrity. Trust. Transparency. Positive Culture. Tugboat Logic exemplifies these values through our programs and opportunities, including:
- Equal and accessible hiring opportunities.
- 33% of the Tugboat Logic crew is female. And growing!
- Total compensation equality including pay and benefits.
- Equity in opportunities for training and development, and professional advancement.
- Annual surveys to examine our strengths, determining where there’s weakness so we can address and close the gaps.
Led by our Chief Diversity Officer and myself, the Director of HR, we continue to educate ourselves on Diversity and Inclusion. It’s our mission to share our knowledge throughout the company openly.
One way we do this through encouraging crew members to share their stories during Diversity Dates such as:
- Black History Month
- Women’s History Month
- International Day of Pink
- Asian History Month
- Pride Month
- and many more to come
We also prioritize:
- Inclusive team-building activities
- Bi-weekly “All Hands” meetings where initiatives are openly shared, and
- Our CEO openly welcomes questions from all crew and takes the time to personally engage with new crew members.
Pride is more than just rainbows. No matter who you are or where you come from, let’s support each other with pride because we’re all unique. We’re all special and our special uniqueness matters, now and always. An individual’s identity is not a costume to be taken off or put on at the whim of an audience. In keeping with Tugboat Logic values, our workplace is one that is safe, welcoming and a trusting environment for everyone. Respectful and thoughtful curiosity is important. It helps us grow in our understanding, knowledge and acceptance.
“At Tugboat Logic, we make it a priority to hire the best talent out there. It’s this focus on excellence that has naturally and organically made us diverse. Celebrating Pride, for me, is about celebrating a culture of inclusivity, where we’re safe to be who we are and bring the best of ourselves to all that we do. I am proud to be part of a team that nurtures this inclusivity and, as a result, has made us more creative, innovative and agile as a company.”
Sydney Archer, Chief Diversity Officer and VP Customer Success
Happy Pride 2021
As part of this month of coming together with open hearts and open minds, we encourage you to have conversations, do some reading, watch some documentaries. Education is the most empowering force in the world. It creates knowledge, builds confidence and breaks down barriers. It is the key to the door to a better, more fulfilling life.
