At Arc’teryx, we believe the path to a better self begins in nature — outside of our doors and ourselves. We seek to remove barriers, so everyone can experience the transformative power of nature. However, we know there is plenty of work still left to do to ensure the outdoors is an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming space for all.
This month, in honour of PRIDE, we’re taking time to reflect and celebrate the efforts and progress being made through our internal teams and external partnerships to make Arc’teryx a more welcoming space for the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES
We are proud to support our athletes and ambassadors as they grow in both their athletic pursuits and personal lives. Learn more about our climb athlete Jordan Cannon and his inspiring journey in coming out. We’re actively looking to expand our roster to better represent the vibrant and diverse communities in which we live, work, and play.
Our retail stores celebrate Pride year-round through their local communities and partnerships. This year we’re excited to amplify the impact of these partners through a total of $50k in donations to the following organizations:
“The Queer Inclusive Climbing Klub provides an avenue for queer people and climbers of all experience and ability levels to meet each other within the support of the LGBTQ+ community. One of our new projects stems from our examination of the financial inequities our community faces, especially our BIPOC members. We are in the process of launching “gear libraries” in collaboration with local climbing gyms to facilitate an easier avenue to climbing. We are working to subsidize gym passes and outdoor climbing trips to reduce logistic barriers and help our queer community get climbing.”
“Get Out And Trek (GOAT) is a fun-loving community of lgbtq+ adventurists actively working to change the face of the outdoors. Through our trips, festivals, and advocacy we are building a better, more inclusive outdoors for queer people.”
“The Capital Pride Alliance, through its stewardship of diverse programming and events, specifically year-round LGBTQ+ Pride festivities centered in Washington, DC and the National Capital Region, serves to celebrate, educate, support, and inspire our multi-faceted communities in order to grow and preserve our history and protect our rights for current and future generations.”
Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL)
“SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders) supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region. Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. Committed to social change, SMYAL builds, sustains, and advocates for programs, policies, and services that LGBTQ youth need as they grow into adulthood.”
“Team DC is a charitable organization established to educate the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community on the benefits of individual and team sports participation.”
WITHIN OUR DOORS
We have two internal Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committees – one specifically dedicated to our North American Retail teams and one for our HQ and global teams. Their focus is to listen to the needs of the organization and develop a strategy and initiatives that bring a broadly inclusive lens to all aspects of the business.
Last year the JEDI partnered with our Pride at Work affinity group to improve the gender inclusiveness of our washrooms through updated washroom signage.
We continue to be a National Partner with Pride At Work. Now in the fourth year of our partnership, we actively participate in a network of Canadian employers to share good practices and learning opportunities with best-in-class workplace initiatives.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and we know the work is never over. We will continue to listen, learn, and act in alignment with our commitment to create safe and welcoming spaces both physical and virtual. Want to get involved your local Arc’teryx community? Click here to find a store in your city or follow along through our social channels.