Julia Brown

TEAM LEAD, GEOTECHNICAL
WSP in Canada

 
For the past year, Julia has been a proud member of the VIBE community and is encouraged on a daily basis to help promote diversity in the workplace.

What does pride at the WSP workplace mean to you and how does the organization put it to practice?

With WSP proudly supporting pride, I feel personally supported and respected in the workplace. I am especially happy to see that WSP has started hosting webinars that raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues.


Tell us about your experience being a member of the VIBE Community at WSP? What difference has it made to you personally?

The VIBE community has not only provided me a great sense of relief, but also a feeling of belonging.  Being part of an industry that is historically dominated by heterosexual males can be quite intimidating as a Queer Trans Woman. The VIBE community at WSP helps alleviate that intimidation, and provides a place to freely express my views and opinions regarding LGBTQ+ matters that I would have not been comfortable sharing otherwise.

The VIBE community has not only provided me a great sense of relief, but also a feeling of belonging.

What does it mean to be working in a professional environment where diversity and inclusion are a core value?

Personally, it means I don’t have to change who I am as an individual. Being part of an company that embraces diversity has given me the self-confidence needed to share my authentic self professionally. When I transitioned at WSP, my peers went above and beyond to make my workplace a warm, comfortable and inviting environment. The support and encouragement I received from both WSP and my colleagues was more than I could have ever asked for. Because my gender and sexuality has never been questioned at WSP, the courage I gained through my transition allowed me to focus on working and living my life, rather than having to justify who I am.

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