The Writers Guild of Canada fully supports and endorses the following statement written by our Diversity Committee on the utmost importance of representation, equity and inclusion for all in the Canadian TV and film industry. We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Additionally, the WGC will:
- make equitable representation a key subject of discussion at our upcoming annual National Forum, where the Guild’s seven-member Council, 15 elected member delegates, and staff, will meet in late April.
- And in May, the WGC will convene a Town Hall, inviting screenwriters, producers, broadcasters and other industry stakeholders, to engage in a dialogue about how we can move forward in ensuring the content we create does not discriminate against any diverse community and is inclusive for all.
The Writers Guild of Canada Stands in Solidarity with the LGBTQ2S+ Community
"As storytellers, we recognize the importance of representation, and its value to both reflect and shape the lives of Canadians. We also recognize the violence of erasure and exclusion, and how such acts silence marginalized voices, perpetuate long-standing systems of oppression, and create unsafe work environments for our members.
We understand the challenging fiscal realities impacting producers, broadcasters and distributors in this country and the difficulties they face in creating Canadian content. But as cultural gatekeepers, we implore them to also consider the ethical cost of their endeavours. The cost of partnering with organizations that engage in discriminatory practices. The cost of forcing writers to create content that willfully excludes some of the most disenfranchised members of society.
As this past week has shown, discriminatory practices within our industry will come to light eventually. And when they do, there will be an uproar — from WGC members, from our industry allies, from the media, and from the public. It is in everyone’s best interest to begin the creative process in good faith, with inclusive practices and mandates that uphold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and reflect our Canadian values.
Our industry is facing a reckoning. We will not go backwards. We will not be silent in the face of oppression, whether subtle or overt. We will fight for all marginalized people including LGBTQ2S+, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, People Living with Disabilities, and all intersectional identities. And with every injustice that comes to light, we will grow stronger and more united. We will demand accountability. We stand together to ensure that we all have a voice — and seats at the story room table. The only path forward is one taken together.
We implore our creative partners to join us. It is not the job of any one producer, broadcaster, or showrunner to hold an entire industry accountable. It is a job we all share. And failing at that job costs our industry — and our society as a whole — far too much.”
