Author: Malissa Bryan (she/they), M.A, PhD student

You likely didn’t choose a career in veterinary medicine with cultural competency in mind, but in today’s increasingly diverse world, it is an integral part of the work. Whether you are caring for family pets, barn cats, horses, or reptiles, you are not only working with animals but also interacting with the people whose backgrounds, identities, belief systems, general lived experiences, and even communication style may be different from your own. Understanding and learning how to approach differences can create a welcoming environment based on trust and mutual respect.

Don’t Assume Shared Norms

What feels ‘normal’, ‘practical’, ‘professional’, and ‘respectful’ to you might feel cold, rude, dismissive, or in some cases discriminatory to someone else who has different cultural norms and practices. Cultural norms differ between regions and even neighbouring communities. Our cultural norms may differ from those of others. These norms shape how people communicate, interpret behaviours, and how they express feelings and concerns for their animals.  The way people interact and understand medical care is also influenced by culture.

Common mistakes:

• Assuming directness equates to honesty. 
• Interpreting avoidance of eye contact as a sign of untrustworthiness. 
• Expecting decision-making to follow a particular process

What to do: 

• Listen and ask clarifying questions before assuming. 
• Ask open-ended questions and do not assume preferences and concerns
• Stay curious and flexible.

Listen Deeply, Not Just Passively

Trust is the foundation of all relationships, including veterinary medicine. When clients feel seen, understood, valued, and heard, they’re more likely to support and comply with a care plan. To continue growing a trusting relationship, it is important to approach the client’s lived experience with care.

Common mistakes:

• Assuming everyone has the same relationship with animals
• Naming client reactions as overreactions
• Listening to respond, not to understand

What to do:

• Leave space for silence and emotions. Don’t hurry the conversation; give clients time to process information. 
• Don’t rush to respond; sit with their stories and try to understand before responding.
•  Make it clear that what people say in your veterinary offices matters.

Use Inclusive Language with the Public

Recognize that words matter and they shape experiences. Language that feels like the norm to you may feel isolating, dismissive, or judgmental to someone who has a different background or lived experience than you. Using inclusive language demonstrates that you care about the people in front of you, not just their pets.

Common mistakes:

• Utilizing the terms: difficult, non-compliant, or problematic without context. 
• Assuming intelligence or understanding based on accent  alone
• Assuming gender or sexuality

What to do:

• Ask for pronouns and the pronunciation of names. 
• Break down medical terms and use plain language in a respectful manner
• Utilize professional interpreters when needed

Check Your Bias at the Door

Every person has biases, and it is your responsibility to keep your biases in check. In clinical settings, where things move at a fast pace, bias may go unnoticed, which can impact the quality of care and how clients are treated.

Common mistakes:

• Offering fewer options based on assumptions of financial capabilities
• Assuming truthfulness based on their identity 
• Spending less time with clients that we see as different from ourselves

What to do:

• Pause: Is this based on a ‘gut feeling” or facts? 
• Offer consistent treatment options and plain language instructions to all clients.
• Seek feedback from clients.

Acknowledge Power Differences

As a veterinary professional, you hold a position of trust and a great deal of authority. It is important that you not only recognize your power but also use it to amplify the voices of your clients. This creates an environment where the pet and the client both feel safe.

Common mistakes:

• Dismissing client questions or concerns
• Interrupting and speaking over clients or rushing clients
• Avoiding explanations to avoid discomfort

What to do

• Be transparent about your role and the client’s available choices
• Invite questions without invalidating concerns
• Meet clients where they are- with respect and curiosity

Remember, building cultural competency is not a one-and-done skill we gain. Instead, it is a daily practice of humility, learning, and unlearning and a lifelong journey that we all must take. You don’t have to be an expert, but you do have to be willing to learn and listen. That’s how trust grows. That’s how the veterinary profession will continue to expand, becoming more inclusive of all the clients it serves.

We’re Here to Support Your EDI Journey!

Author: Malissa Bryan (she/they), M.A, PhD student

Let’s be real: Starting your career is already filled with ups and downs. You’re trying to prove that you got what it takes, you’re navigating the rules, meeting new people who are already established within their careers, and influencing the workplace culture. 

Now imagine the extra layer of trying to show up authentically in places that do not always respect you or see you for who you are. That is a real experience for many people from historically excluded communities. Racialized people, newcomers, and many others often have the additional burden of navigating the consequences of workplaces that lack cultural competency and meaningful inclusion.

Cultural competency is not just a nice-to-have. For those of us who have had to spend a lifetime navigating systems and workplaces that weren’t built with us in mind, cultural competency is about survival, connection and living our truth. Cultural competency enhances belonging in the workplace and for the communities we serve.

Below are some real barriers that you may face when working towards building cultural competency early in your career, and steps you can take to push through them.

Limited Exposure to Other Lived Realities

Even if you have personally experienced what it means to move in the world differently, you don’t always know what that experience may feel like for someone else. You may have lived in communities, gone to schools with people who looked like you, shared similar beliefs, or similar struggles as you, but this did not reflect the full spectrum of people and identities in our world. This can create an echo chamber, make it hard to fully understand, and make space for realities and perspectives that differ from our own.

How to Move Through It:

• Be genuinely curious without being performative. Ask questions. 
• Attend community events that centre lived experiences that differ from your own
• Participate in discussions that centre historically excluded people,  listen more than you speak, and offer support. 
• When people share their experiences, respect them and believe them.

Nobody Taught You

Many folks did not grow up learning about cultural humility, cultural competency, identity, discrimination, or power dynamics in schools and workplaces. You might have seen it, experienced it, but not given the words to name it. In most workplaces, cultural competency training is not mandatory.

How to Move Through It:

• Be intentional in learning about other cultures and communities
• Listen to podcasts and read books from diverse authors
• Do your research to learn more about cultures and communities that you are not familiar with.
• Advocate for ongoing EDI and cultural competency training within your organization instead of one-off training.

Avoiding Discomfort or Guilt

Conversations about race, culture or identity can feel uncomfortable, especially if you haven’t had them in the past. This discomfort can lead you to avoid engaging with issues of discrimination.

How to Move Through It:

• Recognize that discomfort is not harm 
• Sit with discomfort instead of avoiding it
• Process emotions with other folks who are ready to lean in 
• Learn to tolerate tension. Growth doesn’t always feel comfy. 
• Get honest about your reactions. When you feel yourself shutting down or getting defensive, take a deep breath and ask: What am I protecting right now? My ego? My comfort?

Unchecked Unconscious Bias

Unconscious bias shows up in subtle, sneaky ways: it impacts who you see as reliable, competent, honest, trustworthy, and who you are comfortable mentoring and being mentored by.  Unconscious bias can impact who you hire, which colleagues you build a connection with, how you treat clients, and even whose concerns you take seriously. These snap judgments can increase when workplaces lack diversity.

How to Move Through It:

• Be honest about your blind spots. Ignoring bias is harmful. Tools like the Harvard Implicit Association Test can help you begin to uncover your bias, but deep and consistent reflection is where the real work happens. 
• Interrupt habits as they happen. Did you just talk over someone? Did you ignore someone? Ask yourself why. 
• Question your default responses.

Confusing Diversity with Competency

Many workplaces misuse the word diversity as if it were a magic fix. Having a diverse workforce or clientele doesn’t tell us anything about the state of the environment, if it is an inclusive, equitable or culturally competent workplace. Representation alone should not be mistaken for progress.

How to Move Through It:

• Recognize that even if you are new in your career, it doesn’t mean you are neutral.
• Build habits now. Early career is the best time to build anti-racism practices which live in your everyday actions. How you listen, whose feedback you value, what you normalize and what you interrupt. 
• Don’t let visible diversity trick you into thinking the work is done.

Overall, cultural competency isn’t a destination; it is a daily practice and way of life. The systems you are stepping into weren’t likely built with equity and cultural competency in mind. You have the choice to either follow the status quo or be a part of the shift.

Start with small steps, but start authentically. Don’t wait for a title or someone else to be a part of the change.

We’re Here to Support Your EDI Journey!

Author: Malissa Bryan (she/they), M.A, PhD student

In a world where we are increasingly becoming interconnected and people from diverse backgrounds are interacting with one another daily, the concept of cultural humility has developed as a vital avenue in fostering genuine connections rooted in mutual respect and dignity. On the other hand, cultural competence primarily focuses on gaining knowledge about different cultures, while cultural humility is focused on the ongoing internal journey of self-reflection, learning, and personal growth. It encourages us to reflect and acknowledge our own biases, preferences, and cultural socialization and asks us to be open to learning from others whom we perceive to be different from ourselves. It further encourages us to push for equitable and open interaction, in particular in our communications.

The Heart of Cultural Humility

At its core, cultural humility has three foundational key principles:

Lifelong Learning coupled with Deep Self-Reflection:

Cultural humility is an ongoing journey that calls on us to continuously participate in self-reflection and social adaptation. It encourages us to seek out perspectives and lived experiences that are different from our own, broadening our perspectives and strengthening our empathy for others.

Identifying and Responding to Power Imbalances:

Power imbalances are embedded within our social structures and interpersonal relationships, and cultural humility pushes us to reflect deeply, acknowledge, and address these imbalances with actionable steps followed by accountability measures.

Institutional Commitment and Accountability:

Cultural humility goes far beyond individuals; it necessitates a clear commitment from organizations, institutions, and industries. Organizations must create and promote policies, practices, and values while also providing training to help support learning, growth and cross-cultural collaboration. Offering equity, diversity and inclusion resources can support learning and increase cultural humility amongst and between employees.

Can Cultural Humility Be Learned?

The ability to learn cultural humility is embedded in all of us, but the answer is more complicated. The key concepts can be introduced and taught with organizational training and support. Still, it is ultimately up to the openness of the individual to decide to engage in deep self-reflection and personal growth. Cultural humility can be nurtured and grow like a plant, but it must be watered and treated with ongoing care.

4. Read, Listen, Watch, and Learn: Build your cultural humility by building your cultural competency muscle. Read about diverse cultures and communities, listen to podcasts and blogs that share different cultural perspectives, and watch media that reflect a different way of knowing and being. Most importantly, you must learn from a variety of people with lived experiences.
5. Organizational Support: Organizations can create healthy environments that promote cultural humility by developing, implementing and supporting policies that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion and celebrate diversity.

Key Takeaways

1. Self-Reflection
2. Lifelong learning
3. Be humble
4. Identify and address power imbalances.
5. Focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
6. People are the experts of their own experiences.
7. Institutional commitment is necessary.

We’re Here to Support Your EDI Journey!

Author: Malissa Bryan (she/they), M.A, PhD student

Language is always evolving and adapting to the needs of people who interpret it. At the center of our language are pronouns; they play a critical role in our daily communications, whether in person, online, via email, etc. Pronouns are small words that greatly impact how we understand people in relation to ourselves and others. They help our conversation run smoothly, allow us to diversify our speech, and avoid repeating individual names when speaking, writing, and addressing them.

In today’s workplaces, equity, diversity, and inclusion are becoming focal points of organizational culture, and with that, pronouns are sometimes placed under a microscope. It is common to see employees including their pronouns in their email signatures, on pins and name tags, when introducing themselves to others, and during professional, informal, and social interactions. The practice of sharing one’s pronouns is itself a micro everyday action that packs a large impact in fostering inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environments.

Let’s Talk Pronouns

Let’s pause for a moment. Some folks may be rightly wondering about pronouns and how they impact the work environment.

Pronouns are the words we use when referring to someone without using their name. Pronouns are used in everyday language, both written and spoken and have historically often been assumed based on a person’s perceived gender based on societal norms.

Commonly utilized pronouns include “she/her” and “he/him,” with the singular pronouns “they/them” gaining more acceptance in mainstream workplaces. Outside of these well-known and utilized pronouns, some individuals use other pronouns, such as “ze/zir” or “xe/xem,” which can serve as more gender-neutral options. Pronouns are not limited to the pronouns shared; the options for pronouns are limitless.

Assumptions about the gender of a person based on appearance or name are not always correct and may send the harmful message that the way someone looks determines their gender. Using someone’s correct pronouns is a way to demonstrate your respect for them, and sharing your own pronouns conveys the message that you are open and welcome others to share their pronouns with you as well.

The Significance of Pronouns

Pronouns go beyond grammatical tools; they shape the way we see the world and interact with and understand one another. Pronouns influence our perception of identity, responsibilities, roles, interpersonal relationships, systems, and wider social structures. Utilizing the correct pronouns can affirm gender identity, demonstrate respect and increase a sense of inclusion and belonging.

Pronouns in Email Signatures

Including pronouns in your email signature shows solidarity and support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, in particular, our transgender and non-binary colleagues. It lends support to normalizing asking and sharing pronouns as an everyday standard practice. It creates more organic opportunities for discussions and education on gender diversity and reinforces that pronouns cannot be assumed by gender presentation. Hopefully, the more sharing our pronouns becomes standard practice, the less pressure trans and non-binary colleagues and community members will have to educate folks repeatedly.

Sharing your pronouns can be an empowering experience, as we are directing others on how to address us in a respectful manner that aligns with the way we see and know ourselves. Further, it can encourage other folks to share their pronouns in their signatures as well.

It is important to note that not everyone feels comfortable or ready to share their pronouns for an array of reasons, and it is important not to assume that they, too, are not supportive of inclusion and belonging efforts.

How to Add Your Pronouns to Your Email Signature

There is no standard for the placement of pronouns, but placing your pronouns after your name can be helpful for visibility and easier identifiable association.

Malissa Bryan (she/they)
Rainbow Diversity Institute
www.rainbowdiversityinstitute.ca

Or

Malissa Bryan
(she/they)
Rainbow Diversity Institute
www.rainbowdiversityinstitute.ca

There are many opportunities to share your pronouns in addition to your email signature, including when verbally introducing yourself. For example:

“Hi, my name is Malissa, and my pronouns are “she” and “they. It is very nice to meet you.”

We can share pronouns on our clothes with pins that have our pronouns displayed, or when wearing a name tag, we can include our pronouns after our names.

Key Takeaways

1. Pronouns are used when we are referring to people without using their names.
2. People can have a wide  range of pronouns outside of He and She
3. Gender-neutral pronouns: they/them/theirs can be used both in the singular and the plural
4. Other gender-neutral pronouns include ze/zir/zirs, xe/xem/xyrs.
5. Using a person’s correct pronouns is important in respecting a person’s gender identity.
6. Pronouns can change
7. Avoid assuming a person’s pronouns
8. Pronouns can be added to your emails, name tags, etc.
9. Understanding and respecting pronouns can increase inclusion and belonging in workplaces, communities, and organizations.

By understanding and embracing the importance of pronouns, you contribute to a more inclusive, respectful, and supportive environment. 

So, share this article and your pronouns.

We’re here to help support your EDI journey.

Author: Malissa Bryan (she/they), M.A, PhD student

Today November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance (#TDoR).

Trans Day of Remembrance is held in November in honour of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman murdered on November 28^th, 1998. A candlelight vigil in 1999 in San Francisco was held in her name. 

Today we remember all the Trans people who have died from anti-Trans violence. As a person who lives under the Trans umbrella, I have searched for community and have heard the names of Trans people shouted and cried out by those left behind to grieve. But, unfortunately, violence against Trans people continues to grow.

Trans Day of Remembrance is not just about reflecting on violence against Trans people of the past but actively standing against transphobia and other forms of hate that continue to rip through Trans communities.

Through my work with employers, communities, and families, I work on many projects focused on gender-inclusive washrooms, pronouns, and name change processes. These are important steps, but we must take a stand against all forms of Trans exclusion and hate in any form it shows up.

Today I remember and honour all Trans people who have experienced violence, rejection, or hate. I reflect on the intersecting experiences of racialized Trans people, and I honour all those who have come before me.

Tips For Allies & Accomplices

Verbal violence is violence:

Speak up and interrupt harmful jokes about Trans* people, insults, or false narratives that group all experiences of Trans people into one.

Never ask a transgender person for their “real name“

A person’s real name is the name that they provide you. The same goes for trans people, with the added layer that for some, not all, trans people, any reference or association to their birth name can bring up feelings of anxiety, pain, or harmful memories. Therefore, never share a name that a trans person is no longer using without their clear consent.

Further, do not disclose a transgender person’s gender history. This is quite personal information, and although some trans people are willing to share, not everyone is, and it should be left up to people to decide what parts of their history if any, they would like to share. Remember that anti-trans violence is a very real threat for trans people, and outing someone can put them at risk for violence.

Be Inclusive of the T in LGBTQ+

Although trans people are included in the acronym, recognize that trans people’s experiences of gender are not the same as lesbian, gay and bi experiences of sexuality. It is important not to make assumptions about a trans person’s sexuality as a trans person can have any intersecting identity. For example, a person can be trans and lesbian, so it is best not to assume anyone’s other identities and recognize you cannot guess by looking at how someone dresses, acts, or their overall gender presentation.

Respect Pronouns

Learn as much as you can about pronouns, but do NOT guess if you do not know a trans person’s pronouns. Instead, wait and listen to hear what pronouns they use to describe themselves. You can also introduce yourself and your pronouns and ask for their introduction or use the person’s name to replace the pronouns. If you accidentally use the wrong pronoun, apologize briefly and use the correct pronoun and move on.

There are Many Ways to Transition

There are countless ways to transition; some folks use medical support such as surgery and hormones, while others do not wish to receive any medical changes. Regardless of the route chosen and the physical changes seen, Trans people are valid in their identities. Still, there are other trans people who want to have medical support but can’t due to financial and or social barriers accessing medical services. Therefore, there is no one way to be trans and trans identity is not dependent on medical care.

Use Trans Inclusive Vocabulary

In meetings, social settings, the office, classrooms use trans-inclusive language. Avoid terminology that only speaks to the gender binary men and women, such as ‘boys and girls,’ ‘ladies and gentlemen,’ and the dreaded ‘Sir and Madam.’ Instead, use terms such as people, person, folks, participants etc., as these terms do not make assumptions of gender.

My dream is to one day live in a world where Transphobia is something people read about in history books and not experience.

This Trans Day of Remembrance, stand up and speak out against transphobia and keep it going all year round.

We’re here to help support your EDI journey.

Author: Ruth Neustifter (they/them), PhD

Power is a complicated concept when it comes to EDI and social justice.

Still, we can make important improvements in our organizations and workplaces by recognizing one basic concept: Power requires both higher influence and lower consequences. Once we understand how this equation works, we can make life-changing shifts in our policies and practices to help our organizations be more successful and our members more satisfied.

It can be easy for people who are watching groups push for change and rights to misunderstand how power works. Video of angry groups stopping traffic, sitting in government buildings to disrupt business, and other examples can be hard to watch. What about ambulances that need to get through, people who rely on government services to process their benefits on time, and others who are negatively impacted by these protests?

In our community groups and jobs, we may see groups angrily demanding accessibility, support, or protections that nobody seemed to need before. Other times, we wonder why we can’t seem to keep more diverse hires and wonder if it’s even worth it to put so much effort into recruiting and training hires from underrepresented groups. All of these are examples of what can happen when power is misunderstood.

On the surface, power looks like the ability to make things happen, to stop traffic, impact government, demand things, or simply disappear without giving notice. However, those are examples of a part of the definition of power: higher influence.

Influence is the ability to exert control or create change for ourselves, others, and our surroundings. 

However, more influence alone isn’t enough to make someone powerful. Power also requires reduced consequences. Reduced consequences mean that there is less risk and cost that comes with that influence. Consequences can include a loss of much-needed income, fewer useful professional connections, facing legal repercussions, being physically attacked, reputation damage, being ignored or mocked, being denied rights and opportunities, and much more. Therefore, in order to have power, we not only need to be able to exert influence, but we also need to be sure that the consequences and risks are relatively low.

In social justice efforts, it becomes clear that the people making the news are often those who actually have the least power.

Black Lives Matter protestors and others risk significant legal, physical, and other damage in order to make traffic come to a stop so that their message may finally be heard. Employees from underrepresented groups who suddenly leave us short-handed at work may be silently letting us know that they have not been supported on the job. This message is costing them income, accumulated job experience, and a positive reference. Meanwhile, those who are in power but have been inconvenienced or damaged are often left resentful and confused, which may not feel like the power position that it is.

How do we handle these situations so that there is a less toxic power imbalance and more ability to collaborate on changes that benefit everyone?

First, it requires recognizing that it is usually uncomfortable (at best) to recognize when we have more power and have not been using it to ensure that others also have access to influencing their own situations for the best. When we are used to having power, any reduction in it can quickly feel like oppression instead of movement toward equality. After all, none of us have an easy life. Having more power usually doesn’t make our problems go away and can come with a lot of responsibility. However, our risks are less when we want to create change. We are more likely to be listened to and less likely to experience the kinds of drastic risks and consequences that happen when those with less power speak up or take action. 

Secondly, we must recognize that effective management and organizing is always seeking progressive, creative, and effective ways to even the playing field. Those with less power would almost always prefer to also assume less risk. They make the decision to take those risks and face those consequences when the status quo has become so bad that there is little choice if they want to survive, much less thrive. When people in our workplaces and organizations approach us in these risky ways, demanding change, it can feel like a surprise. However, these same groups have likely either been firmly silenced from the start or have been trying to create positive change in gentler ways only to be silenced again.

It’s important to listen with humility, accountability, and a dedication to doing right by those who depend on us to make equitable decisions for all. This can be a big task and a new set of skills for many people. Groups like RDI are here to help navigate, educate, consult, and more to help you co-create positive outcomes that are long-lasting, grow with your needs, and serve all levels of your organization.

Recognizing the nature of power and its two components, influence and consequences, is a necessary step in better management and organizing. Essential changes in how organizations are typically managed, especially around power, can lead to important improvements for members at all levels.

We’re here to help support you in making shifts to ensure the longevity of your organization, beginning with members that can collaborate more with the administration while risking less harm to themselves and you.