Nova Scotia Works and the YMCA are bridging the gap between members of the LGBTQ+ community in Halifax and employers that will welcome them with open arms.

The community partners hosted the inaugural Out and Equal Job Fair on Thursday, which brought more than 100 people and 25 prospective employers to their services centre on Gottingen Street.

The event – believed to be the first of its kind in the province – featured a wide spread of opportunities in the federal government, along with the health care, customer service and automotive industries.

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Brian Thompson, a member of both the LGBTQ+ community and the board of directors for the YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth, said the job fair is reflective of the city’s steps toward a more inclusive environment.

“I’ve had a chance to circulate and speak to every single representative, every company that’s here. Everyone is thrilled to be part of this,” he said in an interview.

“I think it’s important because it speaks to the evolution of inclusion, the importance of diversity for Haligonians. Also, it’s important to create an environment where we’re able to continue to attract and retain great talent here.”

Thompson said members of the LGBTQ+ community may face additional challenges when applying for a job, including judgment and uneasiness with disclosing their orientation or gender identity.

Nikolai Hill, a transgender man and Halifax resident who attended the job fair on Thursday, said it can be “uncomfortable” when an interviewer doesn’t know what pronouns to use for him.

When he doesn’t get a call back, he explained, he sometimes wonders whether his identity has influenced their decision.

That’s what makes the Out and Equal Job Fair such a valuable opportunity, he said.

“I’m really stoked to be able to find a place that there’s not that first barrier of having to disclose my status, so I thought that would be, just like, a great place to find employers that, knowing right from the bat, are GLBT-friendly.”

Nova Scotia Works and the YMCA have hailed the event as a success and aim to make next year’s edition “bigger and better.”

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