You can be you while being a part of our family.
This is a key phrase that Schlegel Villages uses when introducing the core values of the organization to potential new team members, but it applies to everyone. As Villages across the organization collectively marked Pride on June 9, this phrase came to life under rainbow-coloured flags and through educational conversations between residents, team members and loved ones.
Schlegel Villages as whole has made a point to open
conversations around diversity and inclusion during Pride Month.
As Brad Lawrence, the general manager at the Village of Winston Park in Kitchener, spoke during a Pride Flag raising ceremony, he touched on the flag as symbol of acceptance and safety.
“As part of the LGBTQ community,” he said, “if I walked up to Winston Park and saw that flag flying, and I go to the door and there was a rainbow flag, I would know that it’s okay for me to walk in the door and for me to be me.”
You can be you while being a part of our family.
But Brad also pointed to the sad reality that many older adults who, in their younger days, may have “come out of the closet” go right back into it when they move into a senior’s community, for they don’t feel safe or they worry they won’t be cared for with respect.
The team in his Village wants to challenge these dark perceptions, which is why The Pride Flag at Winston Park will fly all year long so that people know it’s a place of acceptance.
For Rebeca Robinet, a recreation team member at The Village of Aspen Lake in Windsor, part of the reason it’s so important that the Villages are marking Pride throughout June is because of the conversations it inspires.
As the flag was being raised at Winston Park and other events were happening across the organization, she was dressed in bright colours in her Village, using the opportunity to speak with residents and team members about the history of oppression and discrimination people faced because of their identity. For some, it’s difficult to move past outdated modes of thinking, which is why respectful discussion about inclusion matters and Rebeca, who considers herself to be an ally of the LGBTQ community, was happy to be part of that.
“I know that I’m supporting loving who you want to love,” she says. “I’m comfortable when I talk about my boyfriend and I want a man to be comfortable talking about his boyfriend.”
She also recognizes there may be residents who may not be comfortable sharing their true selves. As time goes on, however, and the conversations continue, that will hopefully change, which is why the Pride Flag flies proudly overtop of Schlegel Villages.
