Rainbow Faith and Freedom’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Rainbow Faith and Freedom believes that all institutions and all people have a responsibility to create an equitable and inclusive world that respects diversity. Rainbow Faith and Freedom believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion are necessary to guide us in our efforts to provide safe and nurturing communities for LGBTQ people and their allies. 

Rainbow Faith and Freedom values equity, diversity, and inclusion because the improvements to the lives of LGBTQ people that Rainbow Faith and Freedom will foster by eliminating religious-based homophobia, transphobia, and anti-LGBTQ prejudice cannot create the conditions for individuals to live safe, healthy, honest lives if they continue to experience racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination. Individuals and the communities they belong to can only thrive if they are free from any and all discrimination. 

Rainbow Faith and Freedom commits to create, support and maintain a learning, volunteer, and work environment that is free from discriminatory, oppressive, and disrespectful behaviour. 

To honour this commitment, Rainbow Faith and Freedom fosters a dynamic of mutual respect for the unique racial, ethnic, cultural, national, disability, gender, and sexual identities of the communities in which we belong and engage. This means that we work to understand, appreciate, and accommodate that the unique identities and experiences of an individual and their community reflect, not only ways of being, but also ways of knowing and ways of worshipping. 

To demonstrate respect for members of our own community and the communities with which we work, Rainbow Faith and Freedom will listen to others in order to expand our own hearts and minds in our efforts to change hearts and minds.  

Rainbow Faith and Freedom understands that listening is only the first step to establishing and maintaining equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rainbow Faith and Freedom also commits to continually learn from what we hear and what we experience. We embrace the need for us to learn about the diverse and dynamic identities of the people with whom we share our world. We commit to learn about how personal, cultural and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others. Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion requires us to commit to building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Specifically, this means that Rainbow Faith and Freedom actively challenges acting as many of the colonial settlers who came before us who, often under the guise of religious doctrine, did not respect, appreciate, nor accommodate the particular cultural, spiritual, and religious beliefs of those with whom they interacted. Rainbow Faith and Freedom will forge a path that respects the unique racial, ethnic, cultural, national, gender, sexual identities, including the specific (dis)abilities of the members of our own community and of the communities with which we work.

In everything we do, Rainbow Faith and Freedom acts in accordance with our beliefs, values, and commitments. Each policy, procedure, partnership, program and resource will only be implemented if it reflects this commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Specifically, everything that Rainbow Faith and Freedom does will be actively anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-colonial, anti-oppressive and anti-ableist. 

Rainbow Faith and Freedom will hold itself accountable by regularly auditing its policies, procedures, and organizational structures to ensure that the organization is meeting its commitment to be equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

Rainbow Faith and Freedom Land Acknowledgement & Reconciliation Agreement

Rainbow Faith and Freedom is an international human rights organization situated on the traditional territory first named Tkarónto, the Mohawk word for “the place in the water where the trees are standing.” This land is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge that Tkaronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

Each of us, and the communities to which we belong, exist in constant relationship with the land upon which we live. As such, we at RFF recognize that each of us must be actively engaged in learning about the land on which we reside, it’s history, and our place in that history based on our respective identities. RFF acknowledges this requires us to be engaged in our own learning and unlearning about Indigenous peoples and communities, who were the stewards of this land before colonization and who continue to engage as leaders in community care for the land today. We also recognize stewardship of this land as a collective responsibility for all those who reside upon it.  

We at RFF are committed to being active in our actions towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and communities and are guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report. In response to the Calls to Action within the TRC, RFF will be accountable to engaging in learning/unlearning opportunities for volunteers, staff and community members that will increase understanding of Indigenous peoples, cultures, communities & histories, the enduring impact of colonial actions, intergenerational trauma, and the role that we can play in walking the path of Reconciliation (TRC Calls to Action 92iii). Cognizant of the history, and ongoing harm caused by western religious institutions and religious based discrimination towards Indigenous peoples and communities, we will be accountable to centering Indigenous voices and resources while engaging in this capacity building within our organization.  

As well, RFF recognizes the importance of celebration of Indigenous peoples, communities and cultures. RFF acknowledges that Indigenous peoples have an enduring presence and continue to demonstrate expressions of Indigeneity amidst a backdrop of systemic oppression as a result of the legacy, and ongoing acts of colonization that continue to oppress, marginalize, disenfranchise, criminalize and displace Indigenous peoples and communities across Canada and the world. 

As a human rights organization that is focused on ending religious-based discrimination, we are acutely aware of the participation of Western religions in committing heinous acts of colonial violence and injustice such as the Residential School System, which sought to assimilate some 150,000 Indigenous children to euro-centric “Canadian” society, and continues to have cross generational impacts on the lives and lifecourse outcomes of Indigenous folks. We are mindful of broken covenants, political disenfranchisement, and social erasure. We acknowledge the need to make right with all our relations. We are guided by inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-colonial values in our efforts to end religious-based 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination. Importantly, we recognize that the discrimination we seek to confront at RFF, is a direct implication of colonization, as evident in the history, and celebration, of sexual and gender diversity within Indigenous communities and cultures prior to the violent arrival of white settlers. RFF stands in solidarity with Indigenous peoples, communities and Two-Spirit folks and is accountable to the actions listed within this statement in walking our path to reconciliation. 

We know this work is ongoing and invite feedback, suggestions, and critical comments from the greater community. Please do not hesitate to reach us at info@rainbowfaithandfreedom.org