IKEA Canada and 2SLGBTQ+ Community Celebrate Pride

In honour of Pride, IKEA Canada has collaborated with members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to start conversations around “The Rally Table”, creating a platform for meaningful advocacy and representation. The Rally Table is a one-of-a-kind IKEA table made from Pride rally signs that highlight messages of belonging, hope and joy. The Rally Table will be featured in a video ad campaign for IKEA, launching this Pride month, where notable Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ community members will discuss their experiences and the importance of advocacy in the community.

“The Rally Table was designed with the intention of inspiring Canadians to create safe spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ to discuss their personal experiences, identity, and needs,” says Jordan Sequeira, Marketing Campaign Leader at IKEA Canada. “At IKEA, we’re committed to creating a welcoming, safe and accepting environment for all of our customers and co-workers, including 2SLGBTQ+ people across the country. We want to be activists for social change, by inspiring and enabling customers and communities to become changemakers for equality.”

Starting June 23rd, the new IKEA Toronto Downtown - Aura location will be hosting the table in their front entrance. Come see the Rally Table for yourself during the 2022 Pride Parade as IKEA Toronto Downtown – Aura is located on the parade route.

IKEA Canada is launching a campaign built around the Rally Table, where six individuals from the 2SLGBTQ+ community who are passionate about activism to discuss their stories and what the Rally Table platform means to them. During every step of the campaign—from creative concepting, to the fabrication of the table, to the film crew—this project was used as an opportunity to employ, uplift, and collaborate with as many 2SLGBTQ+ community members as possible. This June, IKEA Canada will launch the Rally Table video ad campaign across social channels, as well as traditional ads mediums, sharing each participant’s story with the world.

Participants in the Rally Table campaign, include: Braeden Attwood, Julie Vu, Oceanne Trudel, Chris Morrissey, RJ Brown, Keanan “Kay” Schnoor.

Julie Vu, a trans woman featured in the campaign says, “To me, this table symbolizes the battles that people have fought for our equality, for our freedom, and the battles that we will have to fight for. We need to keep the conversation going. We need to keep fighting for our community and for our people, because it's important that we keep this going.”

The Rally table was handcrafted by J&S Reclaimed Wood, a fabrication company whose founders are members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. With the Rally Table, IKEA Canada and its participating 2SLGBTQ+ ambassadors hope to honour the growth and diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community while igniting a national conversation about advocacy and representation. IKEA Canada also hopes the Rally Table inspires Canadians to feel more confident in having open dialogue and continue to create spaces where conversations can happen safely.

ABOUT IKEA CANADA’S COMMITMENT TO THE 2SLGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

For IKEA, celebrating Pride means creating an inclusive environment where all of our 2SLGBTQ+ co-workers and customers feel welcomed, respected and appreciated for who they are. We are proud to support 2SLGBTQ+ organizations across the country, contributing to outreach programs, peer-to-peer support, youth programing and participating in annual Pride celebrations.

“We want people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to feel at home at IKEA and everywhere. This year we are continuing to strengthen our commitment to be advocates for a more fair and equal society and a driver for social change. We are asking the many people – co-workers, business partners, customers, everyone around the world to become better allies by taking simple, meaningful steps to help make more places feel like home for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.” says John Williams, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Leader, IKEA Canada.

IKEA Canada's commitments and support of Pride have expanded year to year including Pride flags being raised at units across the country since 2017 to raise awareness; sponsorship of Pride Toronto to help furnish safe spaces that support community; and proceeds from the sale of rainbow-coloured STORSTOMMA bags being donated to partner organizations that benefit the 2SLGBTQ+ community since 2018. This year, proceeds from the sale of STORSTOMMA bags will go to select local 2SLGBTQ+ organizations across Canada that push progress forward and create safe spaces in our local communities including Pride Centre of Edmonton, The Rainbow Resource Centre, The519, Skipping Stone, QMUNITY, Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance, and Fondation Émergence.

In 2022, IKEA Canada also launched its 2SLBGT+ Co-worker Resource Group. Co-worker resource groups are integral to our ability to build and sustain a culture of inclusion in our workplace and in our business. These co-worker-led groups are completely voluntary and welcome ALL who are curious and committed to positively impacting the representation and experiences of the 2SLBGTQ+ community at IKEA. Co-worker resource groups also play an important role in building internal networks for advising IKEA business units. This group will be focused on developing strategies aimed at elevating and prioritizing 2SLBGTQ+ co-workers.

ABOUT IKEA CANADA: Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 374 IKEA stores in 30 countries, including 14 in Canada. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit IKEA.ca.