Dublin Bus Partners with BeLonG To for Pride 2020
Dublin Bus partners with leading youth LGBTI+ charity BeLonG To this Pride month to remind us that ‘Growing Up LGBTI+ Isn’t All Rainbows’. As part of its continued support of the LGBTI+ community, Dublin Bus’ partnership with BeLonG To will help to highlight the fantastic work the charity carries out to support and encourage young LGBTI+ people in our country.
BeLonG To Youth Services is the national organisation supporting LGBTI+ young people in Ireland. Working with young people, BeLonG To creates a world where they are equal, safe, and valued in the diversity of their identities and experiences. The Pride partnership will see Dublin Bus roll out an eye-catching advertising campaign across 100 buses for two weeks from Monday 29 June showcasing the vital services BeLonG To offers to our young LGBTI+ community.
About the partnership, Vivienne Kavanagh, Dublin Bus Employee Development and Equality Executive said: “Ensuring all employees feel welcomed and supported is at the heart of what we do at Dublin Bus. We take great pride in our progressive and pioneering diversity and inclusion policies. For Pride this year, we wanted to put our support behind a deserving organisation which helps the community. BeLonG To was a natural choice; their work is amazing, how they support our young LGBTI+ people, the future leaders, and maybe even bus drivers, of our country.”
Moninne Griffith, BeLonG To CEO, commented: “We’re so happy to be working with Dublin Bus this Pride season. I’ve long admired the great work and policies it creates to support its LGBTI+ employees. While we have grown as a country in recent years, the fact remains that growing up LGBTI+ isn’t all rainbows; it can be very difficult for some young people and we hope that the visibility of our information and images of happy and smiling young LGBTI+ people across 100 buses in the Capital will encourage young people who might need help, to reach out and know that there are people and organisations like BeLonG To here to support them.”
BeLonG To has supported young people since 2003, providing youth social groups, support groups, mental and sexual health services, and drug and alcohol support. Some young people wanted to share how it has helped them. Sean says that “BeLonG To reminded me who I am. Being in a place that encourages you to stay true to who you are has helped me grow”; for Cathy “it has brought me so much awareness of my sexuality and has taught me a lot about the gay community.”; while Robbie believes that “BeLonG To has made a big difference to my life, making me more confident and aware in everything I do. It's given me so many opportunities to get involved in different projects and give my input.”
Employing over 3,500 people, Dublin Bus is considered a pioneer in the development of policies and support initiatives around inclusivity and diversity. It was one of the first companies in Ireland to extend its paternity policy to anyone whose partner gives birth to or adopts a child. 2017 saw it work with TENI to produce its Workplace Gender Transition Policy and Guidelines for transitioning employees. And in 2018 and 2019 it helped “Proud Dads” and older members of the LGBTI+ community to come together and enjoy Pride and the heart-warming videos were seen hundreds of thousands of times across the globe.