How do you come out at work?   

That’s one of the questions that the DeGroote Pride Association tries to help 2SLGBTQIA+ business students figure out, as part of preparing for the professional workspace. 

The DeGroote Pride Association is currently in its inaugural year, having officially formed at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. But the idea for the group started well before that, with conversations between DeGroote business students about how to bridge the gap between 2SLGBTQIA+ students and business professionals.  

One of the club’s founders, Matt Retera-Robinson, said that the club aims to showcase the talent at DeGroote and how EDI can be a benefit to those students.  

Having a club like DPA showcases that being queer is “not something you have to hide” in the workplace, Retera-Robinson said.   

“It’s actually something that can be beneficial to you in finding scholarships to finding different career networks.”    

Michael Antoniadis, president of the DPA, said that the business world can be very male- and hetero-dominated. “But there are a lot of queer people interested in these fields,” Antoniadis said.   

The DPA aims to provide a safe and educational space for both 2SLGBTQIA+ students and allies of DeGroote School of Business.   

In their first year, they’ve hosted a variety of events, from a charity drag show to a speed networking event in collaboration with DeGroote Women in Business.  

In November, they hosted their flagship event, a conference called “beyond” which included a panel conversation and networking opportunities.   

More than 50 people attended the conference, which offered advice on how to navigate the corporate world, and aimed to educate allies and inspire a new generation of queer leaders.  

Queer culture and the business world 

Within the business world, there are so many specifics when it comes to being queer, said Antoniadis.   

“For example, one thing that was touched on in our conference that we had in November was, ‘How do you come out at work?’ ” Antoniadis said.  

“How do you know that it’s a safe space for you to come out and be who you are in a corporate environment?”  

It’s an important topic for students who are looking ahead to their professional careers after graduation.  

“I know a lot of queer people at DeGroote…. they’re kind of struggling with, you know, once I graduate from this [university] bubble, can I be myself at work?” Antoniadis said.  

The club tries to blend queer culture and the business world and show how they can be celebrated in unison. 

Antoniadis hopes that students’ experience with the club gives them greater confidence in being who they are.  

“I hope that some level of their anxiety is kind of calmed, seeing and speaking to queer professionals who are out and proud and have navigated the challenges that have come with their identity and careers,” Antoniadis said.   

Most importantly, he said, he hopes they get a new network of “people they can return to when they have questions, when they are struggling, when there are challenges that they’re facing.”  

“Because hoping that there aren’t going to be any is just ignorant. But building a support system that has been there, that is now in senior positions… I think it’s really important.” 

Impact on students 

Madison Damiano, DPA director of internal operations, said being in the club has empowered her to speak up.  

When she started university, she felt like she had to keep her values to herself.  

“Especially being in business, and being in lecture halls of hundreds of people — most of them being straight white males,” Damiano said. “I definitely tried to hide this part of myself and not really let people be able to tell that I had opinions differing from them, and opinions that I am quite passionate about.”  

Being in the club this year “has really helped me get comfortable … speaking on that and just promoting what I believe in.”  

Last month, the DPA was awarded Club of the Year at the Degroote Commerce Society’s annual Leadership Gala, further showing how much momentum they’ve built.  

You need courage to be part of the club, Antoniadis said.  

“You’re putting yourself out there in a very vulnerable way with your identity,” he said.  

“Being able to have something tangible, like Club of the Year, to say … your courage and your passion for this and putting yourself out there meant something to people … and to have that moment to share with the team up on this stage really meant a lot.”  

Allyship Workshop 

Less than a year old, the club already has 86 members. Thirty per cent of those are allies, and Antoniadis stresses how important their support is for the club.  

When the DPA first started, a challenge they faced was allies being worried that if they went to an event, they were taking away spots from queer people who wanted to attend.  

“We need you here,” Antoniadis said. The club isn’t just for queer business people to connect in a closed space. 

“It’s really important that we have [allies’] support and that you’re educating yourself on what our culture is, and what our identity is, and the challenges we face in the corporate world,” he said.  

“If you understand that, then you can help us, you can be a better advocate and a better supporter that way.”   

On March 26, the DPA is hosting an Allyship Workshop, facilitated with the help of McMaster’s Equity and Inclusion Office. Participants will gain practical tools, including bystander intervention techniques, to help address discrimination and create more inclusive spaces.  

“We’re excited for that, to talk about the bystander effect and different intervention techniques and knowing when to speak up and when to let somebody else have a floor,” Antoniadis said.  

“Although we are the pride association, we really are open to everybody who wants to celebrate that culture with us – whether you identify as part of the community or an ally.”