Pride Champion: Al Ramsay

Why is pride important to you?

Pride is a time to celebrate unabashedly that we are proud of who we are. It's also a time to educate and advocate for all our brothers and sisters around the world who are still being marginalized, live in fear and are being murdered because of their sexuality. You don’t “Celebrate Pride” just for a day, week or a month. You celebrate 365 days of the year. At TD, we coined the phrase #ForeverProud and we have a circular rainbow symbol to accompany it.

When you were growing up, could you ever have imagined that you'd be in a series like this?

I grew up in rural Jamaica, where it's still illegal to be gay. If you had told me growing up that I would be featured in a series like this, that would have been a dream. It's a reality because I live in Canada.

Is there someone or an experience that was central in your experience as a 2SLGBTQ+ community member? 

When I started my career in corporate Canada, I was bullied in the workplace for being suspected to be gay. I was fortunate to be recruited to lead their community outreach initiatives for diverse communities including the LGBTQ2+ community. It changed my life. I came out at TD a couple years before I came out to my family and friends.

Why were we lucky enough for you to agree to this series? Why did you want to do it? 

One of my mentors told me that Visibility is Liberty. We should stand tall and be accounted for to help change the narrative. Visibility also shows others, especially the younger generation and those less fortunate, that it is possible to live their lives authentically and achieve their full potential. I will continue to use my platform to help educate and advocate for both the Black and LGBTQ2+ communities.

Note: I can't count how many times I get messages on social media from around the world that seeing me live open and free as a gay man gives them hope — since where they live they are marginalized and can get killed.

Many of the Pride month activities are rooted in large public celebrations, with those kinds of events prohibited due to COVID-19, how will you celebrate Pride this year? 

I'm fortunate to work for a company that truly embraces diversity and inclusion. This year we've pivoted all our celebrations online, as such we will be hosting our first ever TD Global Virtual Pride employee reception. In addition, since we sponsor over 90 Pride festivals, we will celebrate with our community virtually. I hear there are a few virtual Pride parades being planned. I'm very excited for this new experience.

Is there a piece of advice you'd like to share with individuals struggling to be accepted (either by others, or themselves?)

It gets better. It's a journey, so don't be too hard on yourself — everyone's journey is unique. Reach out to your community for support — there is a big Rainbow Family out there who want to help.

Do you have a Pride tradition? 

Yes, #RainbowTour! Given my role as head of LGBTQ2+ business development at TD, I have the pleasure of travelling across Canada to celebrate Pride with our customers, colleagues and community at large. Last year, I attended over 10 Pride festivals — include World Pride New York. This year I will embark on a Virtual #RainbowTour instead!

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

The “Power to Educate Ignorant People” in one click of the heels!  A lot of the harm inflicted on the LGBTQ2+ community comes from true ignorance.