While June typically marks LGBTQ+ Pride month, at Glia we celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) every month. So we decided to kick off pride a little early and share Glia voices on LGBTQ+ rights and the importance of an open, inclusive workplace.
Gianluca Ciccarelli, Engineering:
LGBTQ+ pride means freedom of being and expressing who we are, feeling safe and happy doing it. An inclusive workplace is a space of joy and toil where people feel that their value as human beings is appreciated, respected, celebrated, protected, and encouraged to contribute to the story of the company that we are writing together.
James Posnett, Strategic Sales:
LGBTQ+ pride means many things to me. As a straight male, it’s an opportunity to show you’re an ally and supportive of the community. It’s a chance to celebrate individuality, while acknowledging the rights of many. Pride provides a time of reflection, of how far we’ve come since the Stonewall riots, but also how far there is to go still and the need to continually guard these hard fought rights from attack.
It’s vital to have an inclusive workplace. Everybody should be allowed to be comfortable with who they are, to be able to have their voice heard and feel safe. A team, department, or organization that is built on different experiences is far stronger than if built on a hegemony.
Keala O’Donnell, Launch Manager:
As an ally, LGBTQ+ pride means to acknowledge, embrace, and encourage a breadth of diversity to learn and grow as a community. It is important to have an all-inclusive workplace to promote diversity (sexual orientation, religious, racial, etc.) not only to foster a safe place for people to thrive in the working world, but also as a company to stay progressive with understanding, morals, and compassion in order to grow by learning from different perspectives.
Susan Bordeaux, Customer Success:
To me, LGBTQ+ pride means having the space and confidence to be one’s authentic self with the safety, self love, and joy that comes along with that. Having an inclusive workplace helps to ensure that we all benefit from the authenticity and freedom to grow, contribute, lead, and even make mistakes without fear of unfair consequences or judgment, and all organizations, professional or otherwise, are made better when that happens. It means that one of my closest friends can express to me, with tears in his eyes, that he never felt comfortable being his true self at work until he found a role at a SaaS company; and even though that didn’t happen until he was in his mid-fifties, it filled him with pride, joy, and relief to finally be in a place where he could be his best self. Finally, it means that we all get the opportunity to know better, and to do better.
Chris McManus, Marketing:
What do Alan Turing, Frida Kahlo, Langston Hughes and Joan of Arc have in common? They were all bold pioneers, unafraid to take an unorthodox approach in their respective field. Each contributed significantly to society, leaving an indelible mark on history. Oh, and they were all part of the LGBTQ+ community.
They had to break codes, provoke, inspire, and fight against the odds for a place at the table and the world is a better place because of it. Just as society thrives when we allow all voices to be heard, companies embracing that same inclusive approach enable greatness.
LGBTQ+ pride is about allowing everyone to reach their full potential, contribute meaningfully and live their best lives. Only then can we benefit from the game-changing gifts that future Alan Turing’s and Frida Kahlo’s will bestow upon us.
To learn more about DEI at Glia, visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.
