The Roofing Industry Gets Proud

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

Join RooferCoffeeShop® in celebrating Pride month with a conversation on why the LGBTQIA+ community is part of what makes the industry great. 

RoofersCoffeesShop celebrates Pride month this June with a special Coffee Conversation sponsored by Johns Manville. 

Co-host and award-winning podcast producer for RCS, Megan Ellsworth kicks off the conversation by offering a brief history of pride month. Pride was born out of the Stonewall Riot on June 28, 1969. “The Stonewall Inn was a prominent gay bar in Greenwich Village in New York City and was stormed by police in a homophobic raid. So all these people kind of just fought back for their rights, basically,” says Megan. “It was really started by Marsha P. Johnson, who was a black transgender woman that started the movement really in full. Then the following year after The Stonewall Riots, organizers built on the spirit of resistance and decided to organize a march to Central Park and adopted the theme of gay pride.”  

Today, Pride parades that adopt the spirit of resistance and celebration of love of the LGBTQIA+ community have expanded across the nation, with more and more joining every year. June is now known as Pride month. “It's a massive celebration in being proud of who you are. It's really important to remember who started it and that we still fight for those people,” says Megan. She also shares her own coming out story “I came out when I was about 20 or so and have been out ever since.” 

Technical Director at Johns Manville Roofing Systems Division Zebonie Sulke has a similar story, “I have been in the roofing industry 11 years and have been openly out and gay since I was 20,” says Zebonie. “The roofing community has embraced me. I tell people that commercial roofing and roofing in general is a really good place to be; it's a hidden gem from a career opportunity standpoint.” 

It is safe to say that the industry is moving forward, taking steps towards being more inclusive and diverse while building on the progress of the past. Especially given the massive career opportunity that roofing represents to Gen Z and considering the future generations of roofing, a more inclusive industry that embraces all kinds of identities is a win-win. 

“I’ve been in the industry for a little over 10 years, and I came out at 12 ish, 13. So I have just living the life about 20 years strong now...my experience in the industry differed greatly depending on how I looked, truthfully,” says Assistant Branch Manager at Superior Distribution and DEI co-chair for National Women in Roofing (NWIR), Jess Cress. “But the industry as a whole has been quite accepting.” 

There is certainly still a way to go when it comes to true equity, however, the roofing industry is keen to learn and grow to be better. It makes sense that an industry centered around making others feel safe extends their arms to all communities.  

“My experience in the roofing industry has been very positive,” agrees Maureen Greeves with Tremco in Cleveland, Ohio. “I started a little bit later in my coming out process...it took me a little bit later, closer to my thirties to get it all sorted out and to start embracing it and coming out. So my journey was a little bit different.” 

Undoubtedly, inclusion and diversity are not only the key to building a stronger industry but a huge part of what makes working within this industry so great. “The roofing industry is filled with a bunch of hardworking people who embrace hard work, and work ethic, and innovation,” says Maureen. “From my experience, they've been really open and welcoming.” 

Read, Listen or Watch the entire Coffee Conversation to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community in roofing and to learn what you can do to celebrate your LGBTQIA+ employees in your business.