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The Value of Diversity in Today's Climate: Where Pride Started and How We Can Embrace the Meaning Behind it to Build a Better Workplace

Updated: Jun 12

Each June, rainbow flags appear across company campuses, websites, and social media profiles. But Pride Month began not as a corporate initiative or celebration—but as a protest.


A Brief History of Pride

Pride traces its roots to the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969, when LGBTQ+ patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted a violent police raid. Led in large part by trans women of color such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the events sparked days of demonstrations and a wider movement for LGBTQ+ rights.


The first Pride marches were acts of defiance, visibility, and demand for basic civil rights. Over the decades, Pride evolved from grassroots activism into global celebrations of identity, resilience, and community—but its political and cultural roots remain essential.


Pride and the Workplace: From Margins to Mainstream

By the 1990s and early 2000s, forward-thinking companies began to recognize LGBTQ+ inclusion as part of corporate social responsibility. In tech, especially, Pride became a symbol of innovation, openness, and progressive values. Employee resource groups (ERGs), inclusive policies, and public support signaled that companies were willing to do more than just acknowledge LGBTQ+ people—they were ready to invest in them.


Today, most major companies participate in Pride. But 2025 presents a different challenge:

  • Over 700 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across U.S. states this year.

  • Public scrutiny of corporate DEI has increased, with some firms scaling back due to political or financial pressure.

  • Federal silence on Pride Month contrasts sharply with past years, shifting the responsibility of leadership to the private sector.


What This Means for Business Leaders in 2025

For executive teams, the question is no longer whether to acknowledge Pride—but how to do so in a way that aligns with business values, culture, and long-term strategy.


Pride Is About Culture

Pride is not just a branding opportunity—it’s a window into how inclusive and safe your culture actually is. Do LGBTQ+ employees feel comfortable being out at work? Are they represented in leadership, product decisions, and customer strategy?


Culture audits, pulse surveys, and listening sessions can reveal whether your public support is reflected internally.


Pride Is About Talent

The modern workforce—especially Gen Z—expects more than empty gestures. They’re evaluating whether employers are consistent, courageous, and authentic. Failing to support LGBTQ+ employees can directly impact:

  • Recruitment and retention

  • Brand reputation

  • Innovation and collaboration

Inclusive cultures are more agile and adaptive—which is critical in fast-paced sectors like tech.


Pride Is About Accountability

If Pride began as protest, then today’s business participation must also be accountable. This includes:

  • Backing public statements with internal action (policies, training, benefits)

  • Investing in ERGs with real budget and executive sponsorship

  • Supporting the broader community—through donations, advocacy, and partnerships with LGBTQ+ organizations


Reclaiming the Meaning of Pride in Business

Too often, Pride is treated as a checkbox or campaign. But its roots remind us that visibility and inclusion are the result of struggle, and that real leadership shows up especially in hard times.

In 2025, with political and social headwinds rising, companies have a choice: retreat into neutrality or lead with values.


The companies that choose the latter will not only honor the history of Pride—they’ll build cultures that attract great talent, foster innovation, and reflect the kind of integrity today’s employees and customers demand.

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