Copperleaf Celebrates International Pride Month!
As part of International Pride Month, Copperleaf’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) team organized a virtual Drag Queen Bingo event to kick off our month-long charity fundraiser in support of Rainbow Refugee, a non-profit organization that advocates for individuals who have fled their home countries due to persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
CEO Paul Sakrzewski welcomed everyone to the event and spoke about how Copperleaf® is dedicated to helping create a better world for the LGBTQIA2S+ community. We strive to be allies through promoting diversity and inclusion, being open to learning LGBTQ2S+ history and terminology, and raising awareness for the struggles that the community still faces today.
Trans activist and Rainbow Refugee communications manager, Norma Lize, explained that members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community face heightened discrimination and violence in many parts of the world, forcing them to flee their homes in search of safety and security, and shared her own story of coming to Canada as a refugee from Lebanon. The Rainbow Refugee Society provides a range of resources, including housing assistance, legal support, and community connections, to help refugees establish a new home in Canada. Norma explained how creating an inclusive and welcoming society for refugees benefits us all. Introducing diverse perspectives and experiences enriches our communities and contributes to a more compassionate and accepting society.
Drag superstar Shequida was our special guest and MC for the event! She kicked it off with a series of lip sync performances with the audience guessing which iconic pop diva she was impersonating. We then played several rounds of drag queen bingo, sprinkled with Shequida’s charisma, quips, and some epic roasts. Congratulations to our winners Nick Sertic, Claudia Yule, Bella Clyde, Dano Golden, José Martinez, Pouya Alaeiikhchi, and Baily Levasseur. All good things must come to an end, so we rounded out this fun event with a Q&A session with Shequida, where we learned that she speaks 17 languages from living in different countries around the world, and is a songwriter and classically-trained opera singer with a 5-octave range!
A huge thank you to Copperleaf’s Guy Soulliere who led the organization of this event, as well as DE&I team members Shannon Archambault, Rochelle Hardiman, Merredith Hung, Sofia Lord, Beverley MacEachern, and Samuel Tam for helping to make our events so successful.
At Copperleaf, we believe in the fundamental human rights of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If you’d like to support our fundraiser, you can donate here:
Copperleaf is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Find out more about what it’s like here.