Building inclusive workplaces for 2SLGBTQ+ people
As the national voice of the engineering profession, one of Engineers Canada’s core purposes is to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the profession that reflects Canadian society. This June, we are celebrating Pride with a virtual conversation about building inclusive workplaces that are safe and welcoming for 2SLGBTQ+ people.
It’s been said that workplaces are a chosen home, and places where 2SLGBTQ+ people deserve to feel comfortable being their authentic selves. Sponsored by TD Insurance and hosted by Engineers Canada, this Pride Month conversation will explore how workplaces can provide a safe space for everyone, what pride looks like in engineering, and how non-2SLGBTQ+ colleagues can become allies.
When: Tuesday, June 25, 2024; 12-1:30 pm ET
Where: Zoom (register here)
Moderator: Kim Bouffard, B.Ed. (she/her/elle), Manager, Belonging and Engagement, Engineers Canada
Panellists:
- Michelle Liu, MASc, JD, P.Eng. LEED-GA (iel/they/them), PhD ’25, Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa; Councillor, Professional Engineers Ontario; Co-Chair, Ontario Society of Professional Engineers EDIA Task Force; Member, Equity Advisory Group, Law Society of Ontario
- Martine Roy, CM, (she/her/hers), Regional Manager, 2SLGBTQ+ Business Development Quebec Eastern Canada, TD Bank Group
About the moderator
Kim Bouffard (she/her) is the Manager of Belonging and Engagement at Engineers Canada. She oversees Engineers Canada’s work towards gender equity and Truth and Reconciliation and manages Engineers Canada's outreach and engagement initiatives including two national system change projects: the 30 by 30 initiative and the K-12 Collective Impact Project. She currently serves as the President for the Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology (CCWESTT).
About the panellists
Michelle Liu (iel/they/them) is a Queer, Asian-Canadian, non-binary, and neurodivergent lawyer, professional engineer, speaker, consultant, researcher, and uninvited third-generational settler based on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
Michelle earned their Honours BASc and MASc in civil engineering—specializing in structural and pavement engineering—from the University of Waterloo and worked in design and construction management in both the public sector and various consulting engineering firms.
Michelle’s experience of racist, homophobic, and gender-based violence in engineering empowered them to pursue their law degree (JD ’23) and engineering PhD simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. Michelle’s engineering PhD research, for which they received both the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, uses sociolegal frameworks to understand the relationship between technological designs and the dominant norms in engineering such as masculinity and meritocracy. Michelle’s short-term goal is to become a law professor and to run a law practice advocating for equity-seeking people who experience discrimination in STEM workplaces.
Michelle’s service work in both the engineering and legal professions include serving as a Councillor (Board Member) of Professional Engineers Ontario, Chair of the Waterloo Recent Engineering Alumni Council, mentor with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, Co-Chair of the EDIA Task Force of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, and member of the Equity Advisory Group of the Law Society of Ontario.
Across their undertakings, Michelle’s focus is on using their lived experiences and subject matter expertise to contribute to social justice. Michelle is the recipient of over 20 awards from various institutions for their community service and impact.
Martine Roy (she/her/hers) is a strong advocate for LGBT rights, with her heart set on her business. Dismissed from the Canadian Armed Forces for her homosexuality at age 19, Martine led the class action that concluded with an apology from the federal government in 2017. Martine served as a member of the Board of Directors of Pride at Work Canada for 10 years, a Toronto-based organization she founded with seven other individuals. She was also President of Fondation Émergence until 2015. Over the years, a leader in workplace inclusion, Martine has received numerous awards and distinctions. In 2017, she was awarded the Medal of the National Assembly of Quebec. In 2023, Martine Roy was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her tireless efforts as a leader, activist and advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in Canada's 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
Currently, Martine Roy is the Regional Director, 2SLGBTQ+ Business Development Quebec & Eastern Canada for TD Bank, where she continues to support LGBT+ employees and promotes an inclusive workplace.