Preparing You and Your Organization for #PrideAllYear 

In June, we witnessed the power and meaning of Pride in full force, and in stark contrast. Celebrations and marches spot lit Queer joy. Conversations and demonstrations elevated the discrimination and challenges the LGBTQ+ community faces. And while the festivities and parades may have come to an end, Pride doesn’t end in June.  

Pride is and must be year-round. It is every day in intentional acts of allyship and in authentic and unwavering corporate commitments. It is ongoing efforts of intersectional inclusion AND a daily fight against biases, stereotypes, and fueled, unnecessary barriers, in the workplace and beyond.    

As bigoted legislation and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric aims to push our collective community back into the closet, the essence of Pride has elevated to even greater importance.  

We are here! We will not be silenced. We will not be erased. 

We will take the energy and momentum from Pride Month and, with our allies, continue the fight for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion—inside the workplace and out. In

The Out & Equal Team Celebrates Pride Month 

At the New York City Pride Parade, members of the Out & Equal leadership team, Erin Uritus (she/her), CEO, and Robert Read (he/him), Chief Revenue & Growth Officer, joined our partners at PepsiCo to celebrate Queer joy and the collective power and beauty of the LGBTQ+ community. Michael J. Chamberlain (he/him), Chief Marketing Officer, also marched alongside friends at the Michael J. Fox Foundation. 

Later in the week Erin joined several of our Partners including Accenture and Bank of America for engaging discussions on authentic allyship and advancing LGBTQ+ equality, representation, and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. 

Throughout Pride Month, Out & Equal engaged with more than 50 Partners in discussions focused on LGBTQ+ representation, inclusion, and equality. Rebecca York (they/them) and Gabriel de la Cruz Soler (he/him/Él), Out & Equal team members who facilitated these sessions, reflected on the discussions and what it meant to them.  

“Although this Pride season has been challenging for many of us in the community, especially those who are trans/nonbinary, I remain inspired. During each learning session, I was greeted by enthusiastic allyship and a heartfelt desire to continue building inclusion at work. And after every workshop, it became even more apparent that at an individual level, people are looking for every possible way to show their support to their colleagues, friends, and neighbors. In fact, the message could not be clearer: diversity, equity, inclusion, and allyship don’t just matter; they make a major difference in the fight for LGBTQ+ workplace rights.”

— Rebecca York (they/them), Leadership, Learning, and Development Manager

“Collaborating with our corporate partners so closely during this Pride season has filled me with tremendous hope. This work has given me a chance to see how our partners show up for their LGBTQ+ employees on a daily basis. Reinforcing their commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and year-round allyship, by affirming in every webinar, their pledge to support policies and practices that promote truly inclusive workplaces.”

— Gabriel de la Cruz Soler (he/him/Él), Manager, Global Impact Programs

Deena Fidas (she/her), Managing Director, Chief Program and Partnerships Officer, Out & Equal, traveled to Mexico City to celebrate Pride and cap off a spring of LATAM engagements. Hosted by EY’s Abril Rodríguez Esparza, International Tax Services Partner, Diversity & Inclusiveness Leader LatAm North, the session, "Historias que Inspiran" ("Stories that Inspire") featured Fidas and fellow advocates Ari Vera, Presidenta de la Federación Mexicana de Empresarios LGBT, Fernando Velazquez, Socio, ADIL, and Alberto Arriaga, Director General Pride Connection Mexico; reflecting on their decade of work together in Mexico. Joined by leaders from the British and Canadian Chambers of Commerce, panelists and attendees shared how authenticity, inclusivity, and year-round allyship foster more productive and profitable working environments. 

2023 Workplace Summit Exhibitor Booth and Registration Deadlines

Partner Summit Engagement Center Exhibitor Booth Deadline July 28th

Confirmation of your booth must be received by July 28th, 2023 for Priority Placement

Partner Summit Registration Closes August 11th

Don't miss out on the opportunity to secure your spot by registering now!

2023 Summit Registration is open exclusively to Partner organizations only.

2023 Outie Awards

Nominations Are Extended to Friday, July 21st 

For more than 20 years, the Outie Awards, Out & Equal’s prestigious recognition programming, has honored and celebrated individuals, organizational initiatives, and employee resource groups as role models for advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, and beyond. 

Winners are selected in 6 categories:  

• New Employee Resource Group Chapter of the Year
• Ally Changemaker
• LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate
• Global LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate
• Workplace Excellence
• Employee Resource Group of the Year

Honorees will be notified in early-August with winners announced at the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit closing ceremonial Gala. 

On July 11, Out & Equal’s 2023 LGBTQI+ APAC Forum, returned to an in-person gathering with an even wider geographic reach and an agenda designed to incorporate more diverse perspectives from across the region. We’ll be including more details and insights from the Forum in our August newsletter! 

SHRM, in an article focused on how organizations can support LGBTQ+ team members in danger zones, featured commentary from Deena Fidas (she/her), Managing Director | Chief Programs and Partnerships Officer at Out & Equal. 

Erin Uritis (she/her), CEO of Out & Equal, issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's decision in 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis.