Celebrating Differences with Oma

This month at OMA, we have been working with the theme CELEBRATE!

Not only because we can see all the postponed celebrations over the last few years finally taking place, but because it’s Pride Month–a month that celebrates diversity and inclusion!

The word PRIDE is such a powerful word. It is the opposite of shame; it’s about being proud of who you are. We are all so individual and have differences that are seen and honoured in a way that has not been in the past. Of course, it's not perfect; although we are doing better now, there is always room for more improvement, room to be different and comfortable with all our unique quirks and traits. It is important to rejoice in those moments where we are fully ourselves, in environments and with people who embrace us!

So how can we celebrate differences? 

There are various differences; everything from our education to our skin colour, to who we love,  our body size, and abilities. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and our differences make us who we are. 

It is okay for us to notice these differences. For a long time, it was considered rude to point out differences, but now we know better. It is okay to see these differences and to ask questions with genuine curiosity. We need to normalize differences and to do that, we need to talk about them. 

We can also start these conversations with our kids by reading books and watching media that encourage diversity. This would include characters with different cultural backgrounds, religions, family life, body size, and abilities. And while we are on the topic of kids, we can diversify their playrooms with their toys and craft supplies that can allow for a wide variety of skin tones! 

There needs to be a conscious effort to get out there and learn about our differences. A great example of this might be attending festivals celebrating different heritages, visiting cultural museums, or restaurants that prepare an ethnic cuisine that is new to you. This can be especially easy for those of us who live in multicultural cities like Toronto, where events are happening all throughout the year. 

It’s also important to mention that this month is Pride Month, where there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community and honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The pride festival is also looking for ways to be safer, more accessible, more inclusive, with more diverse programming. You can help by joining in on that conversation here.

Even though this month is themed around celebrations, we need to continue to acknowledge and recognize members of our community all year round. And we can support them by amplifying their voices when they do not have the same platform as us. Having all-gender bathrooms, regulating accessible facilities, including ASL or captioning, and highlighting lesser-heard voices if we are part of the dominant culture are just some ways that we encourage and normalize differences. And we also need to have conversations where we listen to the why and how of feeling separate, and finding where we can be united within this diversity.

This is something that we've strived to create at Oma—a calm and safe landing place that celebrates your individuality and welcomes your authentic self. We are continuously working to create a comfortable space that honours who you are, and so grateful for all the people who inspire and support our values and sense of fun. 

We invite more conversations about ways we can create inclusive environments for our community. If you have ideas, please share them with us by emailing info@omachiro.com. 

Let's continue honouring everyone in the best way we can. American writer Audre Lorde was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who she said it best:

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”