This Saturday and Sunday, Charlotte Pride will host the Pride in Business Summit & Job Fair along with the LGBTQ Charlotte Free Store.
The pandemic forced Charlotte Pride to cancel its large in-person events — including its annual parade — for the second year in a row. Usually, festivities take place in August, but this year's events were adapted for COVID safety and spread out over October and November.
On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the job fair will take place virtually. After registering for the event, people can see all the employers that will be in attendance. Once the event actually starts, they can interact with recruiters and join employer sessions. There will also be workshops on numerous topics like resume writing and help while in between jobs.
Charlotte Pride's Matt Comer said the organization started doing the job fairs two years ago to help transgender and gender non-conforming people find work that’s affirming and where they can show up as their authentic selves.
“As much as the trans community is the most affected in terms of employment access, it's still a challenge for all LGBTQ people,” he said. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for everyone in Charlotte's LGBTQ community to connect with safe and affirming employers.”
The Free Store will take place on Sunday from 2-6 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. People can pick up new and gently used clothes, shoes, toiletry items and more.
Charlotte Pride is partnering with a few local organizations like Charlotte Black Pride, Transcend CLT, Crisis Assistance Ministries and the C.W. Williams Community Health Center to provide additional resources to people at both events. For more information, visit CharlottePride.org and to register for the job fair, visit PrideInBiz.eventbrite.com.
