Pride Month has a special significance for TransLink’s Jeff Busby, both personally and professionally. As an openly gay man, he sees Pride as a vital time for celebrating diversity and uniqueness in individuals, and to be united and visible out in the community.   

There’s no larger celebration in Vancouver than the Pride Parade.   

“It’s really moving to see the city, businesses, and community groups openly celebrate you and people like you. It shows that what might feel like a unique experience is actually a shared experience amongst lots of people.” ​ 

Jeff will be marching alongside his colleagues from TransLink and the PrideBus on Aug. 4 at the Vancouver Pride Parade in downtown Vancouver.

He looks forward to walking in the parade and is reminded each year “how fun it can be to celebrate that transit is for everyone and that TransLink is part of the [Metro Vancouver] community, which includes 2SLGBTQIA+ people.”  

With the words “Work With Us” highlighted on the back of the wrapped Pride Bus, Jeff, who’s the Chief Operating Officer at TransLink, believes the message underscores what TransLink stands for as an organization.

“The type of people we want to attract and retain, and the impact we have on the broader community,” he says. 

Jeff joined TransLink in 2009 and held various roles in planning and engineering before progressing to COO. 

Naturally, Jeff’s career and leadership style has been profoundly affected by personal identity.  

He acknowledges the privilege he brings to his role and strives to create a workplace where everyone can participate fully. By being open about his sexual orientation, Jeff demonstrates that it should not be a barrier to employment or professional growth.  

In his role as COO, Jeff ensures the family of companies and various departments at TransLink are well aligned and have the tools needed to be successful. Part of those tools is having a diverse workforce that feels included. 

As the executive sponsor of our enterprise-wide Pride+Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG), Jeff is proud to work with his peers to make positive change across our organization.  

“If I imagined entering the workforce 20 years ago and there was a specific corporate sanctioned group for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, I would have been shocked,” he says. “It shows a significant investment on the part of TransLink in its people.”   

Through his work with the ERG, Jeff values both addressing challenging issues and fostering meaningful connections within our community of 2SLGBTQIA+ employees.  

Often, he’s found workplace equity can be improved through simple changes.  

For example, when working with human resources, Jeff says, “[the ERG] flagged that some automated messages said, ‘Dear Sir or Madam.'”  

Within a few days of this being identified the language was updated to be gender neutral.  

“It was an example of a quick win to make our workplace more inclusive.” 

Jeff also believes that visible leadership from diverse backgrounds is crucial for creating an inclusive corporate culture.  

“Being a gay man in the workplace is helpful because I can bring a perspective that might not be shared amongst my colleagues, while also being a visible leader from the community. It’s the same reason why it’s valuable to have other equity deserving people at that table.”   

In being a visible leader, Jeff has also enjoyed the opportunity to build relationships with allies and offer support. 

“Especially later in my career, I’ve found that straight parents come to me to have conversations about their children [who have come out as gay]. That is something that I really appreciate. Pride is not just helpful for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, but for our whole community.”   

When asked for his advice to young 2SLGBTQIA+ people entering the workforce is, Jeff says to “be comfortable with your authentic self.”  

In his experience, “you will have to come out for the rest of your life. It’s not something you do one day and then move on.”  

His goal is to create space where others can choose to be open about their identity and build connections based on genuine experiences. “When you are out with your coworkers, the benefits far outweigh any initial awkwardness.” However, he adds that “if people don’t want to be as open, that’s also OK.”  

Through his leadership, Jeff exemplifies the values of Pride while making significant strides in public transportation. He wholeheartedly encourages everyone to join him at the upcoming Vancouver Pride Parade and hopes to continue fostering a supportive workplace where everyone feels safe being themselves.  

“We’re always better when we can be open about what’s important to us and who we are.”