Stock Photo
June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, established to recognize the impact that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on the world. Originally established as “Gay Pride Day” to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots, Pride has expanded in many places to a month long celebration including pride parades, picnics, parties, educational events, memorials for those lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and other group gatherings. The last Sunday in June in many cities continues to be Gay Pride Day.
Below you will find examples of what some of Diversity Best Practices’ member companies are doing to celebrate Pride.
American Airlines
Across the country, June is recognized as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month and American Airlines is giving customers something on board to celebrate. Throughout the month, American’s in-flight entertainment will showcase critically acclaimed films in honor of Pride Month, including: The Imitation Game (Oscar Winner), Milk (Oscar Winner), The Hours (Oscar Winner) and Pride (Golden Globe Winner). TV shows include Angels in America (full mini-series), Looking, Sam Smith Bestival Festival, Kylie Minogue-Kiss Me Once, Rosie O’Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up, Orange is the New Black and Glee.
American has a longstanding history of supporting the LGBT community in the course of doing business. Underscoring our strong commitment, American is recognized by the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a nationally recognized benchmark that distinguishes top workplaces for their inclusion of LGBT employees and their allies. In fact, when the CEI was launched in 2002, American was the only airline to receive a perfect score, and one of only a handful of corporations to do so every year since.
During June, their Pride Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG), American’s first EBRG, invites employees to celebrate this month in variety of ways:
- At the Pride monthly meeting in June, the EBRG is hosting Will Ris, Sr. VP Government and Regulatory Affairs, to discuss the history of American’s long support of the LGBT community
- Learn more about being an ally or advocate to the LGBT community. Pride members will share information from a webinar entitled “Being an Ally” given by Language & Culture Worldwide, LLC, in mid-June
- Participate in community events, including the 46th Annual Pride Parade in Chicago on June 28
- On Jun. 25, the Pride EBRG is hosting a “Trans 101” session to discuss policies related to Transgender employees and also provide employees an opportunity to learn from and ask questions to some of their Transgender colleagues.
American’s support of the LGBT community continues throughout the year in many ways, including partnering with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Lambda Legal. And this spring, American joined Apple, Microsoft and other large companies to pledge that “equality is our business,” signing a public statement led by the HRC that seeks to get businesses and organizations to stand up for diversity. In March of this year, American also joined a broad coalition of U.S. businesses and major employers to file a “friend of the court” brief that sets out the business case for marriage equality.
American Airlines is creating a culture where all employees are appreciated and valued for being themselves and for their opinions. “It helps make us who we are: a global airline, committed to diversity and inclusion.”
AXA
AXA is excited to celebrate with the LGBT community. For the second year in a row, AXA will be a Gold Sponsor of the New York City Pride March taking place on June 28th. Following the parade, AXA will have a presence at Pride Fest, the annual LGBT street fair located on Hudson Street between Abigdon Square and West 14th street. Earlier in the week, AXA will also participate in the NYC Pride Family Movie Night on June 23rd at River Park.
Diversity and inclusion is both a principle and a practice at AXA. Our Employee Resource Group (ERG), AXA Pride, creates and sustains an AXA presence in the LGBT community, fostering advocacy and action across the locations where AXA’s employees and clients live and work. In addition, last year AXA launched “Allies@AXA Pride,” a global ERG devoted to building a culture of inclusion and support all around the world.
2015 marks another year AXA was recognized as one of the “best places to work” for LGBT equality by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, earning a perfect score of 100% on their Corporate Equality Index.
AXA is also participating in the Central New York (CNY) Pride Parade and Festival on June 20th in Syracuse. Later this summer in North Carolina’s largest city, AXA will take part in the Charlotte Pride Parade and Festival on August 15th and August 16th.
BP
Working through its Pride Business Resource Group, BP is offering a variety of activities and events globally to support its employees within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community. BP has active teams within the US, UK, and Asia Pacific. Outlined below are the main global activities BP is involved in for awareness, support, and recognition.
Pink Dot Campaign – http://www.pinkdot.sg/
‘Pink Dot’ which is a is a non-profit movement started by a group of Singaporeans who care deeply about the place that LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Singaporeans call home. It is a group for everyone, straight and gay, who support the belief that everyone deserves the freedom to love. It is the local equivalent of a Pride event and is supported by government, business and the community and is the largest annual public gathering of any kind in Singapore – last year attracting 30,000 Singaporeans. BP is proud to once again sponsor Pink Dot.
Though this movement came out of Singapore, BP will be participating in this activity globally. Other information:
- It is the largest public gathering (of any topic) of its type in Singapore
- In addition to our sponsorship and encouraging employees to attend BP has launched the ‘Pinkie’ campaign
- Pinkie – the official mascot for Pink Dot – has been sent to various BP offices around the world including Chicago, Houston, Shanghai, Mumbai, London and more
- Pinkie comes with a story and instructions to spend a day with Pinkie, post photos on the internal Yammer page, pass Pinkie onto other employees and share stories around LGBT inclusion in the workplace
The external sponsorship and internal activation is a part of BP’s global D&I Ambition
Safe Space (US)
Within the US, BP’s Pride Business Resource Group launched a safe space program that provides awareness and understanding to the potential challenges and obstacles LGBT employees may face. At the end of the training, participants are asked to become supporters of the program and display a ‘safe space’ emblem which signifies to the LGBT community that they are in a safe space. Sessions will be provided throughout the US in the month of June.
Pride Parades (US)
BP will be participating in community Pride Parades throughout the month of June in Alaska, Houston and Chicago.
Brown-Forman
PRIDE Fair / Kick off celebration for Pride Month
PRIDE Month kick-off event on Wednesday, June 3. This event features local LGBT community partners, hors d’oeuvres, specialty cocktails, and a bartending competition featuring four local LGBT friendly bars/bartenders. Brown-Forman has invited ERG’s from other companies to attend as well.
Volunteer at Gilda’s Club – June 9
PRIDE volunteer night at Gilda’s Club on Tuesday, June 9. We will be serving dinner to individuals who come to Gilda’s Club for cancer support classes.
Saturday, June 13 POWERED WITH PRIDE (PWP) returns for its 3rd Annual 5K run/walk in Louisville’s beautiful Cherokee Park! PWP’s mission is to engage and empower communities, by fostering a healthy sense of self, one proud step at a time!
Pride is paying for the first 20 individuals to register with support of their Live Well department.
PRIDE Marriage Equality Panel – June 18
The panel will include Chris Hartman from the Fairness Campaign, Michael Aldridge from the ACLU, Sheila Wachsman, and B-F employees Stepheny Hensley, Tony Schmuckie and Pat McFarland. Panel is to provide an understanding of everything going on currently with help from the ACLU and Fairness Campaign, as well as perspectives from three Brown Forman employees in three different situations.
Kentuckiana Pride Parade – June 19
B-F employees are invited to join the PRIDE group in this year’s Pride Parade on Friday, June 19 at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend the Kentuckiana Pride festival afterwards.
Capital One
Lane Hopkins, Chief Diversity Officer at Capital One says, “One of the hallmarks of our culture is that we genuinely care about our associates and their success and well-being. From the outset, we have worked to build an inclusive, open environment designed to help associates be their best selves. We succeed as a company when our associates feel heard, valued and respected.”
Since 2010, Capital One has been a corporate partner of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); an organization focused on promoting an inclusive environment. Their inclusive culture was recognized when Capital One achieved a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index in 2015. Capital One fosters an inclusive workplace environment and has non-discrimination policies in place that protect all of its associates.
Capital One recently participated in a historic move in the name of marriage equality by signing an amicus curiae brief in support of overturning remaining same-sex marriage bans. In so doing, Capital One publicly reinforced its core beliefs of diversity and inclusion, and urged the Supreme Court to strike down state laws banning same-sex marriage. This move is a great testament to Capital One’s commitment to diversity in the workplace.
Capital One’s LGBT Network strives to help all members apply their unique mix of skills and ideas to their work, show up as themselves, and continue to build a company based on respect for each other. The LGBT Network launched in July of 2003 and today has approximately 1,000 members across our 18 local network chapters. From Las Vegas to New York City, Pride celebrations will span across 14 locations this year with events that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community. Capital One is proud to sponsor the 2015 Capital Pride Celebration in Washington, DC and the Heritage of Pride in New York City.
LAB SERIES Skincare for Men, an Estée Lauder Companies brand
In a show of committed support for the LGBTQA community, LAB SERIES will be honoring Pride month and the LGBTQA community through a series of initiatives. For example, they will be altering their corporate logo to showcase rainbow colors of the symbolic Pride flag. This new logo will proudly be on display on their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for the entire month of June 2015. It will also adorn select retail partner windows in NYC where LAB SERIES will feature their “Pride Power” campaign from June 21st to June 28th leading up to NYC Pride Fest. LAB SERIES Skincare for Men will host a booth at the NYC Pride Fest event on Sunday, June 28th, 2015.
Additionally, they are sponsoring an event organized in conjunction with The Estée Lauder wELCome Employee Resource Group to kick-off all these great activities!
Fifth Third Bank’s LGBT Business Resource Groups Celebrate National LGBT Pride Month
Fifth Third Bank actively promotes diversity and inclusion, with inclusion councils and business resource groups (BRGs) throughout the Bank’s footprint. The groups work to infuse engagement and inclusiveness into the work environment and culture. They are open to all Fifth Third employees as members or allies.
The Bank’s LGBT groups have planned events and activities to celebrate National LGBT Pride month. Read on for a sampling of events across the footprint.
Fifth Third Bank (Cincinnati)
Since 2008, Fifth Third Bank (Cincinnati)’s LGBT BRG has sponsored the Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival. This year the group will again show its support of the event by sponsoring the Family Fun Zone. The group also will have games and prizes at a booth with representation from BRG members, Fifth Third Bank recruiters and lines of business across the Bank, including Mortgage and Retail employees. The Bank will highlight its commitment to this event on the LED screen on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square in advance of the event in late June.
Fifth Third Bank (Kentucky)
Fifth Third Bank (Kentucky)’s LGBT BRG will have booths at the Kentuckiana Pride Festival and the Lexington Pride Festival in June. During the festivals, members will invite attendees to participate in the Fifth Third Spin-to-Win Wheel, with volunteers providing Fifth Third prizes to booth visitors.
Internally, the BRG will be hosting a lunch-and-learn in Lexington and Louisville. The topic for discussion will be current legislation that will provide for protections in housing, employment and public accommodations for the LGBT community.
Fifth Third Bank (Tennessee)
Fifth Third Bank (Tennessee)’s LGBT BRG will sponsor Nashville Pride for the seventh consecutive year. Its goal is to build trust and credibility and advance diversity by serving and supporting the local LGBT community. The group will host a festival with games, prizes and networking at the pre-festival concert in June. During the annual Equality Walk, BRG members and allies will carry a Fifth Third Bank banner while walking. At Nashville Pride, the BRG will invite visitors to take photos, play games, enjoy free snow cones and stay for a conversation with Fifth Third bankers.
Fifth Third Bank (North Carolina)
Fifth Third Bank (North Carolina)’s LGBT BRG will have two events during PRIDE month. The first event is Canine Couture. This four-legged fashion show benefits the Humane Society of Charlotte and is presented by Charlotte Pride. The group also will participate in the Charlotte Business Guild’s 23rd anniversary celebration. The Business Guild—a network of LGBT professionals, business owners, employees and individuals in the Charlotte area—works to promote, encourage and increase visibility of LGBT and ally businesses. Fifth Third Bank is a loyal sponsor of the Guild and also will work with it in July to celebrate Charlotte Black Pride. After that, it’s full steam ahead as the BRG continues to prepare for the Charlotte Pride Parade and Festival in August.
Fifth Third Bank is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status. Member FDIC.
FINRA
To celebrate Pride Month 2015, the FINRA Pride Alliance hosted its Annual National Pride Month Celebration on June 3, 2015, which featured guest speaker Mitchel Atkins, Principal at FirstMark Regulatory Solutions Inc., with introductions and closing remarks by David Greene, Los Angeles District Director and Jonathan Sokobin, Chief Economist and Pride Alliance Executive Sponsor. Refreshments were provided and Pride Alliance members and allies were able to network at this nationally staged social event.
On June 1, 2015, the Pride Alliance released the first of a series of new LGBTQI SharePoint resources pages, which feature video links, web links, documents and other resources specific to the LGBTQI community. This first page features information and resources related to the Transgender community.
The Pride Alliance will also be launching its third annual “Images of Pride” photo competition on June 15, 2015. The contest will run through the end of August 2015 and is open to all employees. To participate in this contest, employees submit their photo entries depicting “pride” via email with the subject heading “Images of Pride 2015 – Photo Competition-Entry.” Voting will be open to all employees September 1 – 15, 2015, and an Apple Watch will be awarded to the first place winner, and gift cards to the second and third place winners.
To close out their Pride Month celebration, the Pride Alliance will be launching the Pride Alliance newsletter at the end of June.
Freddie Mac
Freddie’s LGBT ERG will purchase a poster display from One Archives, which educates the audience on LGBT history & contributions.
KPMG
KPMG and the pride@kpmg network have joined the Point Foundation to establish the pride@kpmg Point Scholarship Fund which provides LGBT students direct financial support along with leadership training, individual mentoring, and internship opportunities. During Pride month, various pride@kpmg Chapters will engage in fundraising activities to support the organization. Through this national fundraising campaign, thepride@kpmg Network has set a goal to raise $25,000.
Additionally, the pride@kpmg National Co-chairs will host the very first live broadcast for all network members. The broadcast will include a career development discussion featuring Gautam Raghavan, Vice President of Policy, Gill Foundation and Glennda Testone, Executive Director, New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
Kraft
Kraft has a proud history of supporting LGBT employees and engaging with the community – from providing domestic partner benefits for over 20 years to supporting local organizations such as the Ride for AIDS Chicago as well as leveraging our Kraft Proud! ERG (LGBT employee resource group) to raise awareness of issues and opportunities.
To continue their individual journey as allies to their LGBT family, friends, colleagues and community overall, this year, Kraft is providing employees with the following opportunities and resources:
- Participate in Pride flag raising events across our facilities, including Northfield, IL, Glenview, IL, Madison, WI and Toronto, Canada.
- Our Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will drive in the Chicago Pride Parade on June 28 and our employees will have an opportunity to be part of the action!
- Kraft is partnering with PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) to provide our North American employees with an online “guide to being a straight ally” in English and French Canadian
Lilly
Lilly and their employee resource group Lilly PRIDE (People Respecting Individual Difference Equality) have a lot to celebrate in June. They played a leadership role in organizing a business coalition to request the enactment of new legislation that made it clear that neither the Religious Freedom Restoration Act nor any other Indiana law can be used to justify discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.
Lilly will be celebrating by marching in the Circle City IN Pride Festival Parade on Saturday, June 13. Circle City IN Pride is an annual, week-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) appreciation and awareness. Lilly’s presence during Circle City IN Pride events demonstrates Lilly’s commitment to workplace equality and a diverse and inclusive workforce.
This parade has grown to be the largest parade in Indiana. Lilly and PRIDE will be sporting new T-shirts worn by over 150 marchers and volunteers, our largest group ever.
Lilly’s theme this year is** #WeAreLilly**. They will leverage social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LillyPad) to demonstrate the support of their company for the LGBT community and our city.
As a “Park Sponsor,” Lilly will have an exhibit and branding and signage throughout the festival.
ManpowerGroup
Manpower’s Elevate business resource group has several events planned to promote workplace awareness, education, networking and inclusion throughout the community!
On June 4 national Human Rights Campaign leaders Deena Fidas and Beck Bailey will visit ManpowerGroup headquarters. The special half-day program, open to both ManpowerGroup employees and the community, focuses on building a better world of work for LGBT talent.
The agenda includes:
Building Warm & Welcoming Workplaces for LGBT Employees: Training for People Managers
HRC’s climate survey and report The Cost of the Closet and The Rewards of Inclusion reveals that a full 53% of LGBT people remain in the closet at work. Employees who do not feel welcome and who feel compelled to hide who they are at work report barriers to productivity and impacts to retention. Join us for this session specifically designed for people managers and leaders. We’ll cover foundational knowledge about the LGBT community and ways for managers and leaders can create a warmer, more welcoming climate for LGBT employees. We’ll cover best practices as well as tips for addressing inappropriate behavior.
Cultivating Transgender Inclusive Culture
From Laverne Cox on the cover of last year’s Time magazine to just a few weeks ago when 17 million Americans tuned in to watch Caitlyn Jenner come out as transgender in an interview with Diane Sawyer, transgender visibility in America is at an all time high. Meanwhile, many of America’s largest companies have been moving the needle on transgender inclusion for over a decade by enacting workplace protections based on gender identity, transgender inclusive policies and health care coverage as well as successfully managing on-the-job gender transitions. Join us in this session to learn about building transgender inclusive workplaces including best practice recommendations and guidance on securing transgender inclusive health insurance coverage. Led by HRC Foundation guests Deena Fidas, Director of the Workplace Equality Program and Beck Bailey, Deputy Director of Employee Engagement.
Elevate’s mission is to foster an authentic work environment that is inclusive to all ManpowerGroup employees, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Their goal is to unite LGBT+ employees and allies in the world of work.
Mastercard
Pride BRG (Business Resource Group) was launched in 2008 and Rob Reeg (President, Operations and Technology) has been the Executive Sponsor since its inception.
NYC Pride Week (June 23-28) – MasterCard is a silver sponsor and participating in many of the week’s events in New York. Purchase PRIDE BRG members, friends and family will march along the Out Traveler magazine float that builds on our #OneMoreDay campaign.
#AcceptanceMatters Campaign – New York City Pride Parade
MasterCard was one of three finalists at the Financial Services Diversity Leadership Awards presented by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for the marketing campaign used in the New York Pride parade in 2013. The #AcceptanceMatters campaign encouraged consumers to post their pictures on Twitter and Instagram and share why acceptance matters to them. The parade has been used to promote the #AcceptanceMatters campaign and MasterCard PayPass. http://www.nycpride.org/events
St Louis PrideFest (June 26-28) – MasterCard is a presenting sponsor of the St. Louis PrideFest. The St. Louis Pride BRG has staffed a booth and a marching group at the annual PRIDEFEST where over 100,000 people attend during the weekend event. http://pridestl.org/
Dublin PrideFest (June 27) – MasterCard Dublin PRIDE BRG members, friends and family will march in the parade.
Mondelez
- Flag Raising Ceremony
- Leaders from the company will speak about importance of Diversity & Inclusion (e.g. ERGs) with a focus on LGBT engagement and LGBT Equality (workplace, marriage, etc.)
- Pride flag will be hung on flagpole for the month of June
- Pride flags will be displayed throughout the three New Jersey buildings
- Asbury Park Pride Festival
- Lunch n’ Learn Presentation – Complete the Dream: LGBT Then & Now
- Global history of LGBT with an emphasis on the Supreme Court rulings the past few years (and hopefully an update on this year’s ruling!)
- Community Food Bank of New Jersey volunteer event
- Garden State Equality Walk – Equality Sponsor
New York Life Insurance Company
NYLPRIDE, New York Life’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), is celebrating Pride Month with five exciting events. The ERG will kick off the month with an entertaining concert and sing-a-long led by the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus. Next, NYLPRIDE will host “Coming Out Stories Allies Panel” where employees will share their inspiring personal experiences on being an ally to family, friends and/or co-workers who have come out to them. The ERG will also participate in the “Garden Party” fundraising event to benefit New York City’s LGBT Community Center. In addition, they will assist with meal preparation and participate in community building at Sylvia’s Place Emergency Youth Shelter. Capping off PRIDE month, the company will present a float in the New York City Pride March where employees, agents, family and friends will parade down Fifth Avenue!
Nissan
Nissan will be kicking off this year’s Nashville Pride Festival with the all-electric (zero-gas) Nissan LEAF as the lead vehicle in the Pride Walk. Then, as attendees head into the festival area Nissan will have 10 Nissan vehicles on display—people will be able to open the doors and get inside to get a feel for what it’s like behind the wheel of a Nissan. We’ll also have a misting tent where festival goers can get a reprieve from the summer heat.
Oracle
This year at Oracle, Oracle Pride Employee Network (OPEN) Employee Resource Group (ERG) will host events and celebrations to be held in various office locations.
Pride month is more than just a celebration; it is an opportunity to create awareness of LGBT issues in our communities and to build allies. Here is a list of events and activities taking place in the month of June at Oracle:
- Rainbow Pride flags to be flown at US Oracle-Owned facilities the week of June 22nd to June 28th
- OPEN ERG Bay Area employees will kick off the celebration with the 5th Annual Pride Luncheon program on June 12th at Oracle Headquarters.
- Sponsorship of San Francisco Pride Parade on June 28, the world’s largest gathering of LGBT people where headquarters employees, friends and family will march.
- OPEN ERG Toronto, Canada will celebrate Pride month by having lunch on June 25th at the Village Restaurant.
- OPEN Netherlands will be celebrating Pride month from July 27th to August 2nd by placing a large banner in the central Utrecht office and providing chocolates on every floor with OPEN Rainbow print.
- OPEN Mexico will be celebrating Pride month by participating in Guadalajara’s Pride 2015, in a technology industry contingent at the Mexico Development Center in Guadalajara.
Celebrating one’s identity is a year long process that goes beyond the Pride month. Oracle’s support of OPEN’s Pride month activities reflects Oracle’s long-term commitment to their LGBT community.
PG&E
- PG&E will have rainbow lights on the top of their two San Francisco headquarters buildings
- They will run an employee TV commercial featuring a same sex couple that work at the company and their children
- In addition to participating in the San Francisco Pride parade, PG&E will use their trucks to hang the pride banners around the city
- PG&E is expecting record employee participation in the parade this year
- They are ramping up the PrideNetwork Ally campaign, including a feature at the Officer/Director meeting in July
Pfizer
June 4th – As part of the 2015 Diversity and Inclusion Summit, Pfizer will host an invitation-only luncheon with Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law. A graduate of Harvard (A.B.), Oxford (M. anSc. as a Rhodes Scholar), and Yale (J.D.), he clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi on Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Yoshino taught at Yale Law School from 1998 to 2008, where he served as Deputy Dean and the inaugural Guido Calabresi Professor of Law. He has published broadly in scholarly journals, such as the Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Review, and Yale Law Journal, as well as in more popular venues such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Slate. He is a frequent contributor to NPR and MSNBC. He is the author of Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights (2006) and A Thousand Times More Fair: What Shakespeare’s Plays Teach Us About Justice (2012). Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial, Kenji’s most recent book, tells the definitive story of Hollingsworth v. Perry, the trial that will stand as the most potent argument for marriage equality. He is a current member of the Harvard Board of Overseers. In 2013, he became a member of Deloitte’s Inclusion Advisory Council.
June 10th – Reception at Pfizer’s New York headquarters to unveil the LGBTA and History and Heroes Photo Exhibit, which will be on display through October.
Late June – 2015 PRIDE Journal – Pfizer’s OPEN colleague resource group will highlight LGBTA families in this year’s Pride Journal called “Our Family of Pride”. OPEN’s Pride Journal series was launched in June 2007 to highlight the stories of LGBTA colleagues and the company’s commitment to building an LGBTA-inclusive workplace. The series features first-person accounts from Pfizer LGBTA employees, some self-identified and some anonymous, as well as stories of support from our straight allies.
Late June – Networking reception – The location and other details to follow – OPEN’s networking receptions are open to colleagues, their family and friends.
PNC
PNC joins the nation in celebrating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. In June and beyond, PNC will sponsor Pride festivals, parades and other events across markets from Milwaukee to Lexington.
“PNC is making significant strides to ensure an inclusive environment for our LGBT employees, customers and communities,” said Marsha Jones, chief diversity officer. “Twenty-two markets across the organization are reaching out to their respective LGBT communities through sponsorships of Pride festivals and other employee and community events. Although Pride is celebrated one month of the year, these outreach initiatives will continue in markets well into the summer and fall.”
What’s happening
This is the sixth year PNC has supported activities for Pride Month. PNC Proud, the LGBT Employee Business Resource Group, has nearly 1,300 members and chapters in nine markets. In 2015, PNC was again named as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality and received a perfect 100 percent score from the Human Rights Campaign. Continuing its strong support of the LGBT community, PNC has more events than ever slated for 2015, 42 in all, happening in 31 cities and 22 markets. See the list of PNC-sponsored events below.
Central Pennsylvania
On Wednesday, May 13, PNC hosted the Central Pennsylvania Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Networking Mixer in Mechanicsburg.
Chicago
PNC will sponsor Chicago Pride Fest on Saturday, June 20, on North Halsted Street, between Belmont Avenue and Addison Street. This community event is open to everyone.
Cincinnati
June 27 is the Cincinnati Pride Festival and Parade. The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday and goes through downtown, and the festival will be held at Sawyer Point along the Ohio River.
Cleveland
Cleveland Pride will be held on Saturday, June 27, and will include the 27th Annual Parade, Rally and Festival. The parade starts at Voinovich Park at noon behind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Columbus
The PNC-sponsored Columbus PRIDE will begin with a festival at 4 p.m. Friday, June 19, at Goodale Park. A parade will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20, followed by a Pride Brunch at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 21.
Dayton, Ohio
PNC will be the presenting sponsor for Dayton Gay Pride 2015 from Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, which includes the Affair on the Square on Friday evening, the Pride breakfast and parade/festival on Saturday and the Pride brunch on Sunday.
Detroit
Michigan’s largest LGBT Pride celebration, Motor City Pride, will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7 in Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. The festival will start at noon on both days and include a family picnic, golf outing and parade, which begins at noon on Sunday.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
On Saturday, June 20, PNC will be a sponsor of Greater Grand Rapids Pride, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in Calder Plaza. On Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27, PNC will be a sponsor of Holland Area Pride.
Greater Washington
PNC will sponsor two events in the area:
Capital Pride, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary, will take place from Wednesday, June 3, to Sunday, June 14.
Frederick Pride will kick off its fourth year from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 27, at Carroll Creek Linear Park in downtown Frederick, Md.
Indianapolis
On May 6, PNC hosted a Rainbow Chamber of Commerce after-hours networking event at the PNC Corporate Center in Indianapolis. On June 13, the Indy Pride Festival and Parade will be held in downtown Indianapolis at the American Legion Mall on North Pennsylvania Street. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on the corner of Mass and College avenues, and Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard will be the grand marshal. On June 17, PNC will host a client-facing Wealth Management Workshop.
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Kalamazoo Pride 2015, which will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, at the Arcadia Creek Festival site in downtown Kalamazoo, will include musical acts, a beauty pageant and a Pride brunch.
Lancaster, Pa.
PNC will sponsor the family-friendly Lancaster Pride Festival and Celebration from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, June 20, at Buchanan Park, with LGBT-centric vendors and sponsors.
Lexington, Ky.
The Lexington Fairness Awards is a community fundraising event that celebrates and recognizes leaders of the LGBT community. The event will be held on June 26 at the Keeneland Entertainment Center and Keene Barn in Lexington.
Louisville, Ky.
The Kentuckiana Pride Festival and parade will be held Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, on the Belvedere in downtown Louisville.
Milwaukee
Pride Fest Milwaukee, the nation’s largest LGBT festival, will be held June 5 to 7 at Summerfest Grounds on N. Harbor Drive, featuring headline acts and a parade at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 7. The parade starts on 2nd Street between Lapham and Greenfield and goes to 2nd and Oregon.
New Jersey
In its 24th year, Jersey Pride festival and parade will be held from noon to 7 p.m., June 7, in Sunset Park between 5th and Sunset Avenue, Asbury Park.
North Jersey
PNC will be a presenting sponsor for North Jersey Pride, which will take place from June 8 to 14 in Maplewood, N.J.
Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey
Philly Pride begins with the Festival from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, June 12, centering on 12th and Locust streets. Sunday’s parade starts at 13th and Locust at 11:30 a.m., and the festival gates open at noon at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, which will be the parade’s destination.
Pittsburgh
Festivities start on Sunday, June 7, from 6 to 9 p.m., on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside for the Ready. Set. Pride! kickoff to Pittsburgh Pride. Saturday, June 13, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Pride in the Street will take on Liberty Avenue between 9th and 10th streets in downtown Pittsburgh, and will feature Iggy Azalea. The Pride March begins at noon at the Fairmont on Sunday, June 14, and ends at Pridefest on Liberty Avenue, between 6th and 10th streets.
Ongoing events
Other PNC-sponsored LGBT events will continue beyond June and, in some of PNC’s warmer markets, into the fall:
- Baltimore — July 24, Baltimore Pride
- Charlotte, N.C. — Aug. 15, Charlotte Pride
- Louisville, Ky. — Sept. 19, Louisville Pride Festival
- Atlanta — Oct. 10, Atlanta Pride
- Florida East and Florida West — ongoing galas
Sodexo
The mission of PRIDE (People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality) is to champion an environment of acceptance and workplace equality for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally team members through employee engagement, community involvement, education and awareness.
As part of June LGBT Federal Heritage Month, the PRIDE EBRG’s goal is to work to truly expand our support of the local communities in which we serve. We wanted to salute and support the LGBT community during the month of celebrating, history and raising awareness and encourage the support of the LGBT Community.
Pride events are significant opportunities to work on behalf of human rights for All people, including LGBT people, and we are excited for you to join the effort, support your local communities and be part of the growing movement for recognition of LGBT human rights, locally and worldwide!
PRIDE will be taking part in several regional activities as part of our PRIDE Provides Month of Service during the month of June 2015. Including: Washington, D.C., Boston, Buffalo, San Francisco, Chicago, Spokane and Seattle.
Buffalo Pride Festival – Buffalo, NY
The Buffalo Pride Festival is a community event to advocate support and awareness in the LGBT community. Sodexo will be participating in the parade as the “WNY Sodexo PRIDE Team”
Capital Pride Parade – Washington, DC
This is the 40th Anniversary of Capital Pride and will mark the 10th anniversary of the first time Sodexo marched in this or any other Pride Event/Parade. Sodexo will sponsor Capital Pride and March in the Pride Parade.
Boston Pride Parade/MassEquality – Boston, MA
MassEquality will be building a contingent of supporters to march in the Boston Pride Parade. The parade will begin around 11 a.m. and they will be marching through downtown Boston in the parade.
PRIDE Center of Western NY – Buffalo, NY
Guest speaker to talk/ present during lunch hour for support and awareness. We will also make a donation to the organization.
Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Chicken Soup Brigade – Seattle, WA
Sodexo will be packaging pre-packaged food items that will be delivered to people for a meals on wheels program and we will also be putting together safe-sex kits for Seattle’s upcoming PRIDE parade.
Chicago Pride Fest – Chicago, IL
PRIDE Fest in Chicago celebrates GLBT with music, events, informational. We will work with the Human Right Campaign in supporting this event.
Project Open Hand – San Francisco, CA
Sodexo volunteers will prep food and work in the grocery center for Project Open Hand
Spokane AIDS Network – Spokane, WA
We will be picking and packing groceries for clients that come in and pick them up, also hand delivering them to clients. There may also be some light cooking or prep work in the kitchen.
UPS
UPS’s Atlanta and Louisville Business Resource Groups (BRGs) celebrated Pride Month with local signature events. In addition, the UPS Northern Plains District LGBT & Allies BRG will raise funds by participating in the Twin Cities Pride event.
Speakers for the events included LGBT & Allies BRG executive sponsor Teri Plummer McClure, UPS Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President Human Resources and Employee Communications and Beck Bailey, Human Rights Campaign Deputy Director of Employee Engagement.
In Atlanta the LGBT & Allies BRG presented a program titled Allies — Partners in Everyday Inclusion that was followed with a networking reception focused on the importance of allies enabling LGBT workplace inclusion. The event was attended by 130 guests from UPS, and such Atlanta corporations as The Home Depot, Delta, Kimberly Clark and Wells Fargo.
During the Ally event McClure noted the need to humanize issues beyond marginalized groups because everyone, at all levels, is touched. Bailey cited the benefits of senior leadership stepping into mentorship roles in order to expand opportunities for LGBT persons in senior positions.
The Louisville event was a collaboration between the local LGBT & Allies, African American, and Women’s BRGs highlighting inclusive leadership. McClure shared her inspirational journey to expand her understanding of the LGBT community and become an ally. Bailey discussed often-overlooked business costs resulting from environments in which employees feel they cannot reveal being LGBT at work.
UPS’s Northern Plains LGBT & Allies BRG will raise an estimate $15,000 to support the United Way Arise Project through sponsorship of non-alcoholic beverage sales and logistics at the Minneapolis Twin Cities Pride event. The gift will be used toward ending LGBTQ Youth Homelessness. Over 110 UPSers volunteered 525 hours at the event, which is the third-largest of its kind in the U.S.
In addition, UPS will be represented by its iconic brown package car and a marching contingent of employees, family members and friends in the Atlanta, Louisville and Minneapolis Pride Parades.
U.S. Bank
More than 1,500 U.S. Bank employees are participating in Pride celebrations across the United States, including events in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Portland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul (“Twin Cities”), Seattle and San Francisco.
- The company created a special T-shirt for employees to wear at Pride celebrations.
- All employees and branch locations are invited to display a specially designed Pride Month poster.
- The company is encouraging employees to organize activities and events for their teams or locations. Employees will share recaps and photos in the company’s online diversity and inclusion community.
- U.S. Bank’s intranet news page, Inside USB, will highlight these events all month long and will promote its online multicultural calendar.
- The company created an internal blog highlighting famous members of the LGBT community.
Walmart
As a tradition, Walmart celebrates heritage months throughout the year. In June each year, to celebrate PRIDE heritage month, Walmart PRIDEAssociate Resource Group has collaborated with local operations and the Home Office team to participate in and sponsor PRIDE events in the communities. Last year, Walmart sponsored 14 events. This year, they are currently sponsoring 21 events (and still growing).
The two major events are San Francisco and NYC Pride. Because of the overwhelming response Walmart had in those 2 markets last year, they have been able to engage more stores and associates and increase their sponsorship level with great support from the market team and the Home Office team.
In NYC, Walmart will have some of their company leadership there to speak with the associates before the parade begins to give them encouragement for the great work they are doing in bringing Diversity and Inclusion to the forefront through their support in the communities Walmart serves.
Additional Resources:
Library of Congress Pride Page
