Diversity and inclusion are essential to all businesses and are imperative to their success. These efforts must go beyond donations and proclamations to become core components of a long-term business strategy that are adequately resourced and sustained over time. To do this, businesses must lead with trust, authenticity, a risk-taking mentality, humility and a willingness to listen.
In honor of Pride Month, we are spotlighting businesses that are creating opportunities and driving progress through initiatives and programs for LGBTQIA+ employees and the community writ large. This snapshot is just a sample of companies who are leading by example as we collectively advocate for progress.
Bank of America: Every year Bank of America celebrates Pride Month through parades, festivals, and other programs for employees and their friends and family to come together to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Their active participation is further enhanced by their partnership with Love Has No Labels, a campaign designed to help promote acceptance and inclusion of people across sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, age, and ability.
Converse: Since 2015, Converse has pledged and donated more than $1.65 million to LGBTQIA+ organizations such as It Gets Better Project, The Boston Alliance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth, and The Ali Forney Center, and has doubled its promised annual grants in the last year.
Coach: Coach is celebrating Pride this year by partnering with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to serving the needs of the LGBTQIA+ youth between the ages of 13-24.
Adidas: Adidas is continuing its long history of celebrating Pride with the collaboration with a queer Australian artist, Kris Andrew Small, and is actively supporting Athlete Ally, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports, by the Senior Director, Communities & Social Impact at Adidas co-chairing the upcoming Annual Athlete Ally Awards.
Apple: Apple regularly donates to several LGBTQ advocacy organizations, including Encircle, an organization that offers safe spaces for LGBTQ youth, young adults, and families, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Disney: Disney is donating all profits from their Pride collection to various LGBTQIA+ domestic and international organizations, including ARELAS, a Spanish association offering resources to trans youth, and Nijiiro Diversity, a nonprofit organization in Japan focused on reducing LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace, and others.
Lego: Lego has partnerships with organizations such as Stonewall, which helps fund other LGBTQIA+ organizations and offers grants and scholarships.
Target: For the last 10 years, Target has collaborated and lent support to GLSEN, which works to ensure LBTQIA+ students are able to learn and grow in a safe school environment.
Uggs: Ugg is supporting The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people, by donating $125,000 dollars.
Madewell: Half of Madewell’s proceeds from their Pride collection will go to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which helps to advocate for LGBTQIA+ equal rights and fight against discrimination.
Levi’s: Levi’s is donating their annual $100,000 to OutRight Action International, a global organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people around the world.