Pride in Progress: How Canada’s Public Service Is Building Belonging for 2SLGBTQIA+ Employees

June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate the resilience, contributions, and rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, while also reflecting on the work still needed to advance equity and belonging. In the Canadian public sector, this means confronting systemic barriers, fostering inclusive workplaces, and upholding values of respect and dignity for all.

We’re honored to speak with Dr. Holly North Ellingwood (he/him/il/lui), Assistant Director at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), about the evolution of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in the public service, the challenges that persist, and the transformative policies driving progress. A passionate advocate with decades of lived and professional experience, Dr. Ellingwood shares insights on why Pride is more than symbolism—it’s a call to action for leaders and allies alike.

Why is Pride Month an important time for the Canadian public sector to reflect on diversity and inclusion?
What an interesting question! I don’t see it as a reflection on diversity or inclusion. For me, I’m not divergent from anyone, which is what the term diversity implies. Nor is it about being included, as if others are making an exception by ‘allowing’ me in the room or at the table. Rather, I see it as celebrating, encouraging, and amplifying respect for people and our variety of distinctiveness and fostering belonging. Respect and belonging are two key things for quality of life and wellbeing for every person.

I don’t see it as a reflection on diversity or inclusion... Rather, I see it as celebrating, encouraging, and amplifying respect for people and our variety of distinctiveness and fostering belonging.

How has the public sector’s approach to LGBTQ2+ inclusion evolved over the years?
If by public sector you mean the Public Service, it has evolved in many ways, especially in the last few years. In 2017, gender identity and gender expression were included in the Canadian Human Rights Act. Also, the Purge Report came about due to the Supreme Court of Canada (S.C.C.) decision in favour of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals harmed by discrimination and violence. That report holds 13 recommendations that many departments have begun to undertake to create greater respect and belonging for us as 2SLGBTQIA+ employees. The creation of a Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat, housed now at Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), was created to help implement positive changes not only in the Public Service but for all 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Canada, leading to their groundbreaking Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan launched in August 2022 – the first initiative of its kind focused on bettering the lives of us as an equity-underserved community. 

In the federal government, we now have transition guides for employers to support trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid employees as they transition. We have name change and pronoun change protocols in our systems to help with that support during transition. At the same time, there is still more work to do. With recent global shifts, greater incivility is being experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in and outside of the workplace, especially, and not exclusively, for those that are transgender, non-binary, or gender-fluid. We’ve come a long way, and it is up to us to uphold our Value of Respect for People, to uphold our Canadian values, and continue to forge ahead, not slide back, and continue to work at making our workspaces more welcoming and places where all can thrive.

How do you foster an inclusive environment for transgender and non-binary employees?
The same way you would do so for anyone – respect, consideration, and leading with empathy , anchored in compassionate and servant leadership.

Are there upcoming policies, training programs, or advocacy efforts related to LGBTQ2+ inclusion that you’re excited about?
I dearly hope for us all as a country that the recommendation from nearly two years ago to add 2SLGBTQIA+ employees to the Employment Equity Act comes to pass. It is an important amendment to make to better address the disproportionate impacts and systemic barriers faced by our community, and particularly for those that are transgender, non-binary, or gender-fluid.

How do you maintain energy or optimism given the terrible headwinds we seem to be facing?
Honestly, that’s a tough question to answer. I think what helps my energy, or more accurately, maintaining my resolve and perseverance, is knowing that sometimes change is hard to see when you’re in it and there is so much pushback, but it is still happening. I’m of an age where when I was younger being 2SLGBTQIA+ was pathologized, even criminalized for simply existing. Now we live in a country where same-sex marriage is legal, where we are protected under the Charter, where some health supports to transition continue, and much, much more. I think about how far we’ve come in just my lifetime so far, and that fires me up because it means we can continue to learn, grow, and evolve as a society to be better, do better for everyone.

I think about how far we’ve come in just my lifetime so far, and that fires me up because it means we can continue to learn, grow, and evolve as a society to be better, do better for everyone.

What does Pride mean to you personally, and how has your experience as an LGBTQ2+ individual (or ally) shaped your work in the public sector?
Pride for me is about perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds for the greater good. My experiences haven’t shaped me quite the way many seem to think. I’ve met some pretty harsh incivility at work at times in the Public Service. What that has done is strengthen my resolve to change things. What I do know, without doubt, is that I have my ability to help others and build towards a better future. That’s what I anchor myself in and keep working towards.

Dr. Ellingwood’s perspective reminds us that while Canada has made significant strides in 2SLGBTQIA+ rights—from marriage equality to workplace protections—the journey toward true equity is ongoing. Pride Month is both a celebration and a reminder: belonging cannot be seasonal.

As public servants, we must commit year-round to challenging discrimination, amplifying marginalized voices, and implementing policies that ensure everyone can thrive. From the *Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan* to everyday acts of respect, progress hinges on collective courage and leadership.

Thank you, Dr. Ellingwood, for your unwavering advocacy—Let’s carry this momentum forward.

"The arc of justice is long, but it bends toward belonging."