25+ Ideas to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month at Work
We sat down with some of our partner companies to learn how they support and empower their LGBTQIA+ employees to bring their full selves to work. Keep reading for some ideas to celebrate, educate, and inspire inclusivity in your workplace this LGBTQIA+ History Month.
Freddie Mac– CommUNITY at Freddie Mac
"Freddie Mac is committed to creating an inclusive environment for our diverse employees. Here are some of our efforts specific to our support for our LGBTQ+ community:
- Our Pride Business Resource Group (BRG) helps create a culture of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- We commissioned a first-of-its-kind study to research the LGBT housing experience.
- We hosted a history event highlighting the achievements of individuals in the LGBTQ+ community.
- Our Supplier Diversity Program has supported LGBTQ-owned businesses for more than 25 years.
- Our Pride BRG offers LGBTQ+ networking events, programs and keynote speakers throughout the year."
Learn more about Freddie Mac here.
CallRail– Showing Up As Your Full Self
"Our plan is to focus on 'Showing up to work as your full self". We have plans to host a training from Georgia Equality, do a round table discussion wiht LGBTQ employees here at CallRail, we will have some slack events and also a virtual financial literacy course. This will all be hosted by our Women's Circle & Rainbow Coalition ERG."
Learn more about CallRail here.
Sun Life– Networking for Members and Allies
"Sun Life Pride Network is celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month with a multitude of events. The first features Catherine Meade, VP of Social & Community Responsibility at OLG in Toronto, Canada, on her experience of being out in her professional & sporting life. There will also be a casual networking event for members & allies to discuss what it means to come out in today's world.
Sun Life Pride creates a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace where members of the LGBTQIA+ community can reach their full potential, bring their true selves to work and feel proud to be Sun Life employees."
Learn more about Sun Life here.
MongoDB– Sharing Coming Out Stories
"To celebrate National Coming Out Day, MongoDB's affinity groups Queeries and The Queer Collective are organizing an external blog post and an internal panel of employees who will share coming out stories. MongoDB benefits support medical services for employees who identify as Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, or Transsexual, including hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery, blepharoplasty, and many others. MongoDB offers 20 weeks of paid parental leave regardless of gender identity and fertility, surrogacy, and adoption benefits to all of our employees globally. In addition, MongoDB offers expanded gender options as well as pronouns in our recruiting, onboarding, and internal systems, includes gender identity as a protected category, and considers intentional misgendering and deadnaming as forms of harassment in our employee code of conduct.
Learn more about D&I at MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com/careers/inclusion"
Learn more about MongoDB here.PagerDuty–Addressing Stereotypes and Misconceptions
"As an organization, creating a safe environment is paramount to fostering belonging. Celebrating the LBGTQ+ community must be authentic, strategic and inviting to those who are seeking to be an ally. Life Group circles, in addition to Pride Month, offer an inclusive, safe and learning opportunity for people to share their stories and address stereotypes and/or misconceptions, while celebrating the freedom to express themselves openly at work. You can't choose to be an ally; you are invited in. Life Groups allow us all to learn, celebrate and be proud of our differences."
—Roshan Kindred, Chief Diversity Officer
Learn more about PagerDuty here.
CoStar Group—Celebrating and Supporting Our Employees
"In celebration of LGBTQIA+ History Month, CoStar Group's Pride Network will host its inaugural general body meeting. Scheduled for October 11, National Coming Out Day, the meeting is essentially the "coming out" of our Pride Network. Later in the month, our employees will demonstrate our collective support for LGBTQIA+ youth by participating in Spirit Day, a day on which supporters raise awareness to the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ youth.
These events celebrate the individuality of our employees, and their friends and families. They also underscore our commitment to a diverse workforce, equitable practices and an inclusive workplace culture."
Learn more about CoStar Group here.
Riot Games–Sharing Gay Rights History
"To celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month, Rainbow Rioters, our LGBTQIA+ employee resource group is engaging Rioters all month long to share the history of gay rights and related civil rights movements. Coinciding with LGBTQIA+ history month is National Coming Out Day where Rioters have traditionally shared stories of their own coming out with players and the public. Our goal is to let the world know that they aren't alone in their gender identity or sexual orientation. Check out our video to hear stories of Rioters coming out, sharing their own journeys of self-discovery, and advice they have for anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation."
Learn more about Riot Games here.
Automattic–Supporting Queer Employees
"Automattic's Queeromattic ARG is a community space, resource hub, and advocacy group for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. We're all about helping and supporting our kindred queer folks working here, providing likeminded spaces, sharing resources, and finding ways to lift queer voices however we can. Recent support activities include public-facing queer support and content from Queermatticians, posts for Pride month, and a salute for Transgender Day of Remembrance."
Learn more about Automattic here.
Waters Corporation–Providing Best-In-Class Benefits
"At Waters Corporation, we believe diversity is a statement, but inclusion is an act. That's why we celebrate the more than 120 members of our employee-led Pride Circle and embrace new additions when the time is right in their individual journeys. Waters provides gender transition guidelines, holds information sessions for allies, encourages the sharing of pronouns, ensures the availability of best-in-class benefits for LGBTQIA+employees, and upholds a Supplier Diversity Policy. We eagerly partner with qualified businesses owned by underrepresented groups, and we know that harnessing the totality of our employees' perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds drives our performance."
Learn more about Waters Corporation here.
Smartsheet–Hosting Employee-Led Panel Discussions
"At Smartsheet, we're committed to providing an open and supportive work environment consistent with our company values. The Rainbow Collab, our LGBTQIA+ ERG, regularly hosts employee-led panel discussions and events. Our HRIS system includes 13 gender-identity options (including the option not to identify), as well as 11 pronoun options (including the option "Ask me about my pronouns"). Our standard company email signature was also updated earlier this year to automatically include employees' pronouns based on their selection in our HRIS system."
Learn more about Smartsheet here.
Relativity–Using Inclusive Language
"It's our goal from day one that LGBTQ+ employees in every department and on every team feel comfortable being their authentic selves. Some examples are that everyone is encouraged to display, use, and respectfully inform of personal pronouns. Inclusive language matters. It's on Relativians to hold each other accountable. This year we had a companywide panel discussing LGBTQ+ Representation in Media and Why It Matters. We have Slack channels and community forums dedicated to discussing LGBTQ+ topics and issues. Personally, I make it my mission to do my best to make sure everyone feels supported and proud to be both a Relativian and, most importantly, themselves."
—Ken Diedrich – Senior Software Project Manager & Co-Chair of RelPride (Relativity's LGBTQ+ community resource group)
Learn more about Relativity here.
Collins Aerospace–Raising the Progress Pride Flag
"Through many Pride ERG events, sponsorship of Out and Equal Workplace Summit, raising the Progress Pride flag at 35 sites, and visible C-suite support, Collins Aerospace continuously evolves to create an atmosphere where all employees can bring their best whole self to work. Our Gender Transition Guidelines and Gender Transition toolkit ensure that when an employee shares their intention to transition, they have the support they need from human resources and leadership. Sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity are all part of our anti-discrimination policy.
Our parent company, Raytheon Technologies, is proud to score 100% on HRC's Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality."
Learn more about Collins Aerospace here.
Helix–Holding Intimate Conversations
"At Helix, we encourage every employee to bring their full selves to work. We do this in many ways, including fostering open discussions about intersectionality and respecting each other's choices and beliefs. Recently, we hosted a month-long event, 'Intersectionality in Identities: How who we are affects how we work,' where we invited employees to attend a Journal Club, a Happy Hour and an open discussion on the topic of intersectionality. We had intimate conversations, lots of laughs and built camaraderie through both our shared adversity as well as celebrating our differences.
In a traditional workplace, there is often an expectation of being "professional" which, to someone who identifies as queer, is perceived as "gender conforming". But Helix is anything but ordinary. At Helix, our authentic self is not only encouraged, but celebrated."
- Brian Nguyen, Compliance Project Manager at Helix
Learn more about Helix here.
Moody’s–Showing Solidarity
"Moody's is committed to advancing the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion. The recent name change for our LGBTA ERG to "Moody's Pride BRG", reflects Moody's ambition to enhance inclusivity and show solidarity with the Trans and Non-Binary community, as well as all minority groups. The mission of the BRG remains unchanged and will continue to be focused on advocating a work environment that respects, welcomes and supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and non-binary individuals, and enables them to perform to their fullest potential as well as continuing to promote the concept of being an ally."
Learn more about Moody's here.
JW Player–Encouraging Proper Pronoun Use
"At JW Player, we believe that diversity fosters a better workplace. In fact, it's embedded in our company culture as one of our six core values. We strive to cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable to come to work as their most authentic selves. Since 2020, we've had an active committee dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which organizes events, shares news and information, and works with our executive team to institute change when needed. JW Player's DEI committee has been responsible for encouraging pronoun use and communicating stories on LGBTQIA+ issues year-round. We are committed to continually educating ourselves, valuing each other's perspectives, and acting in ways that have positive impacts on the company and our wider community."
Learn more about JW Player here.
Cummins–Hosting a Lunch and Learn
"Cummins supports LGBTQ+ community:
- The first Pride Affinity group was launched in Cummins in 2005
- There are now 15 Pride Employee Resource Groups in existence globally set up to foster a safe, equal and inclusive environment to support and empower LGBTQ+ individuals
- Pride ERGs provides quarterly learning series, lunch and learn events, safe leader training and has a Pride Ally program.
- The group aims to provide a supportive, safe and caring environment for all
- Cummins received two recent honours for its support of LGBTQ+ employees and for diversity in general"
Learn more about Cummins here.
Expedia Group–Creating Community-Driven Action
"We at Expedia Group recognize that both inclusion and equity are needed to ensure employees feel safe and encouraged to bring full selves to work. In addition to our LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group creating community driven action, we have launched initiatives driving systemic change and equity including a Transgender and Gender-nonconfirming Inclusion Advisory Council. Members of this council advise on multiple company programs, one of which is global benefits. We have also integrated pronoun, gender identity, and preferred name options into our HR platform and company-wide applications to foster global engagement about gender diversity."
Learn more about Expedia Group here.
ServiceNow–Promoting Action About Culture Change
"At ServiceNow, we champion an inclusive workplace for all LGBTQ+ employees to be their authentic selves. With our Pride Month campaign this year, ServiceNow created dialogues to promote allyship and activate employees around key issues facing LGBTQ+ employees and the work that needs to be done. Through our Pride at Now Belonging Group, LGBTQ+ employees and allies have a safe space to be themselves at ServiceNow. Together, this group focuses on making an impact and promoting action around culture change and inclusive global practices and policies.
Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion here."
Learn more about ServiceNow here.
Facebook–Advocating for an Equitable Space
"Facebook believes in the power of community and driving action to help make Facebook and the LGBTQ+ community stronger. Facebook honors and supports the LGBTQ+ community by continuing the progress of advocating for an equitable, safe, and supportive space for our LGBTQ+ team members.
In support of National Coming Out Day, Facebook's employee resource group Pride@ hosted it's 4th annual Pride@ Development Summit, a virtual event for internal employees who identify as LGBTQ+ rooted in the theme of "All of You. All of Us". Pride@ members united to learn and commit to taking bigger & greater actions to change the world for All of You and All of Us. You can learn more about Life at Facebook by clicking here."
Learn more about Facebook here.
Mural–Helping Our Community Feel Valued
"We encourage employees to bring their full selves to work by ensuring that community and belonging don't stop at the PRIDE ERG. The work continues in meetings during which we use murals to put each voice on equal footing, during pay and promotion conversations when we ensure LGBTQIA2+ people have representation, and when we train our managers to ensure each of our employees can thrive across our business. We also have mindful allies across the organization who also help members of the Community feel valued."
—Alecia Page, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Program Manager
Learn more about Mural here.
Capco–Fundraising for LGBTQIA+ Organizations
"Capco supports LGBTQIA+ employees and encourages them to bring their full selves to work through programming sponsored by Pride@Capco, our global affinity group for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. Pride@Capco creates networking opportunities, hosts educational and social events, fundraises for LGBTQIA+ organizations, and coordinates a mentorship program. We also work with industry groups such as Out4Undergrad and myGwork to ensure we are engaging and recruiting from diverse communities. Through these initiatives we aim to elevate our community's careers and experiences, foster learning about different perspectives, and create a safe and brave space for everyone at Capco to be themselves at work."
Learn more about Capco here.
BlackRock–Offering Mentorship and Professional Development
"At BlackRock, we are committed to supporting our LGBTQIA+ employees to ensure that we create equitable access to opportunities, career advancement, and a culture in which everyone feels they belong. Our Employee Network, the Out & Allies Network (OUT) was founded 10+ years ago and connects the experience of the LGBTQIA+ community to our BlackRock principles by promoting a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their stories and bringing their genuine selves to work. The network provides an opportunity for mentorship, sponsorship, professional development, and a channel for allies to learn how to help take action and demonstrate their support."
Learn more about BlackRock here.
Bumble–Hosting Internal Discussions
"At Bumble, our priority is building a company that represents the communities we serve—and ensuring each employee can bring their whole self to work. We do this through a number of initiatives, including but not limited to:
- An internal 'Buzzword' discussion series, where we host subject matter experts and industry leaders to engage in cross-cultural discussions, share varied perspectives, and foster education with our global team.
- 'Diversibees,' our intersectional employee resource group designed to share, support, and celebrate diverse conversations and build community.
- Special programming around LGBTQIA+ History Month, Pride Month, and more. When Pride events halted in 2020, we found a way to support the community through our Pride Donation Campaign. We also love to support local initiatives that our team members are passionate about, such as last month's Unite The Fight Gala in Austin, Texas."
Learn more about Bumble here.
GameChanger–Providing Unconscious Bias Training
"PRIDE month is in June but GameChanger takes pride in standing as an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community every month. Examples of how we show our allyship are:
- Supporting teammates in sharing their gender identities in both the onboarding process, in our intranet, and Slack
- Extend our various benefit opportunities to domestic partners in addition to spouses
- Offer paid parental leave to birthing and non-birthing parents as well as adoption benefits
- Utilizing software that both prevents and promotes awareness of gendered language in various company communications
- Providing unconscious bias training and other diversity and inclusion curriculum to all teammates year round"
Learn more about GameChanger here.
Uber–Sharing Diverse Experiences
"Uber has a tradition of celebrating National Coming Out Day by asking members of Pride at Uber, our LGBTQ+ network, to share their coming out stories. Telling stories is old as (queer) humanity itself, and sharing in the diverse experiences of coming out allows all employees to better understand the LGBTQ+ experience. Sometimes the stories are short, sometimes they're cinematic epics! Often they end well, and other times they're not as easy to hear. What unites these stories is what unites everyone at Uber. The belief that we're all better when we're able to be and share our authentic selves."
Learn more about Uber here.Turo–Fostering Inclusion Through Education, Discussion, and Action
"At Turo, we don't just celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month; we advocate year-long. We have multiple Slack channels dedicated to creating a safe space to discuss LGBTQIA+ topics and diversity globally and within the Turo ecosystem. As part of our Diversity Inclusion and Belonging framework, we hold town halls and feedback sessions to evaluate what's going well and brainstorm ways to improve inclusivity on everything from recruiting and hiring to learning and growth. In addition to educational resources like Trans Allyship, we Turists actively foster inclusivity, from promoting gender-neutral alternatives to "Hey, guys!" to inviting personal pronouns during the hiring and onboarding processes."
Learn more about Turo here.
Nestlé USA–Providing Inclusive Healthcare Benefits
"Nestlé, along with the Nestlé Pride Alliance, are working to create a space where everyone can bring their most authentic self to work, on National Coming Out Day and every day. Nestlé has long been committed to policies that support LGBTQ+ employees — from equal marriage and parental benefits for same sex couples, to healthcare coverage for gender affirmative surgery. This Pride Month we announced the launch of Included Health, an addition to our existing healthcare benefits that elevates care for LGBTQ+ employees across the country, and advocated for the Equality Act through SFPA."
Learn more about Nestlé USA here.
Pride At Work: Learn more about Our Partners, Sponsors & Speakers
Our Gold Sponsors
American Express
American Express is a global services company that provides consumers and businesses with exceptional access to products, insights, and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. We make it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services through innovative payment, travel, and expense management solutions.
Through our Global Diversity & Inclusion strategy, we're able to channel our efforts in specific ways. We aspire to continue to develop a talent pool that brings together unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. We foster a workplace culture where differences are valued and expressed freely and all employees have the support they need to take risks, learn, and collaborate.
NGA
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, warfighters, intelligence professionals and first responders. Anyone who sails a U.S. ship, flies a U.S. aircraft, makes national policy decisions, fights wars, locates targets, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on NGA.
S&P Global
S&P Global is more than just a place to work. It's a place to learn and grow, surrounded by the best and brightest. A place to challenge yourself and advance your career. If you're a pioneer or a thinker, there's a role for you to play in our mission to help accelerate progress in the world.
S&P Global provides essential intelligence for companies, governments and individuals to make decisions with conviction. Our legacy is built on an unwavering ability to deliver data and insights that are vital to the world's economy.
Smartsheet
In 2005, Smartsheet was founded on the idea that teams and millions of people worldwide deserve a better way to deliver their very best work. Today, the company delivers a leading cloud-based platform for work execution, empowering organizations to plan, capture, track, automate, and report on work at scale, resulting in more efficient processes and better business outcomes.
Smartsheet went public on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2018 and currently enables collaboration, better decision making, and accelerated innovation for over 76,000 domain-based customers in 190 countries, including 96 of the Fortune 100.
Smartsheet is a passionate team of 1500+ employees spanning offices in Seattle, Boston, London, Edinburgh and Sydney.
PwC
Together we can create change. Together we can make an impact. And the only way we can tackle the challenges of a fast-changing world is with people like you. Powered by integrated digital tools of today, you'll provide services, build innovative products and technology solutions that will refine the ways we work and support our clients. The firm is committed to gender equality and focuses on creating an inclusive culture that develops our people to be future leaders.
Our purpose, vision and values are what connects the more than 284,000+ people across the PwC global network of firms and helps distinguish us in the marketplace and with our clients. Discover more about the firm including our impact on society, our commitment to creating a culture of belonging, and how we are investing in technology and our people. Our culture will encourage you to speak up and challenge conventional thinking, and our environment will offer you structured mentorship tailored to your professional development. The PwC experience includes an inclusive workplace community, a culture of flexibility, infinite learning opportunities and personalized coaching supporting career development. We care for our people and are committed to inclusion, understanding and respect for all. The only way we can tackle the challenges of a fast-changing world is with people like you. Explore our careers podcast hub and learn more about what it's like to work at PwC through the voices of our people.
Raytheon Technologies
Follow Raytheon Technologies To Get Updated When They Post New Roles On PowerToFly! Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. The company was formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Our values span the enterprise and drive our actions, behaviors and performance. TRUST We act with integrity and do the right thing. RESPECT We embrace diverse perspectives and treat others the way they want to be treated. ACCOUNTABILITY We honor our commitments, expect excellence and take pride in our work. COLLABORATION We share insights, learn together and act as a team. INNOVATION We experiment, design, build and transform with speed and agility.
Diversity & Inclusion. A diverse company is a strong company. The people of Raytheon Technologies come from different backgrounds. We value our different perspectives and styles of solving problems. We leverage those unique voices to generate solutions for a united and singular purpose: to define the future of aerospace and defense.
Our Silver Sponsor
Esri
At Esri, we build cutting-edge geographic information system (GIS) technology that our customers use to solve the world's most complex challenges: slowing climate change, stamping out disease, designing a better city, fighting crime, and much more. Our ArcGIS software is helping communities around the globe respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by monitoring the surge, managing testing sites, aiding essential workers in finding childcare, mapping food and essentials, and keeping residents informed and safe.
We believe having a diverse workforce makes us stronger as an organization. When employees of different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, and perspectives come together, brainstorming and solutions are more diverse, resulting in innovative products. This also helps our employees feel a sense of inclusion and belonging. A number of employee-led groups exist for colleagues with similar backgrounds and interests, and their allies, to support one another. Connections are made via networking events, "lunch and learn" educational sessions, and the many channels of our internal communication platform. Some of the more established groups include Black, Hispanic, Asian, veteran, LGBTQIA+, and women in tech employee communities with others frequently being created.
Our Media Partner
MMCA
The Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA) is a growing group of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) media stakeholders, advocates and allies resolved to get more content, more ownership, more impact, and more control of our story and of where, when and how its told. The key pillars of our effort are (1) coalition building, (2) awareness and advocacy, (3) constructive engagement, (4) stakeholder assistance, and (5) honoring BIPOC media excellence.
