Top 10 Quotes from WorkPride 2023
July 5, 2023myGwork celebrated its fourth annual WorkPride event this June, with an incredible line-up of passionate panelists discussing their experience as LGBTQ+ professionals and allies. In an increasingly diverse society, it’s vital to place inclusion at the forefront of not just business, but general social interaction.
As many of our panelists discussed, vocal and active allyship is more important than ever. With great advice and powerful personal perspectives, WorkPride provided participants with unique knowledge to improve upon their diversity and inclusion standards. Here are 10 amazing quotes from WorkPride 2023 to take with you.
1) “Allyship builds allyship. It's one of those things where you can bring people on the journey along with you. Get involved with your employee resource groups & communities in your neighborhood. Any first step is a great first step.” Courtney Zehnder, RS Group.
2) “Be what you want to be, when you want. I switched so many labels. When the shoe fits, it'll be comfortable because authenticity is comfortable. It just takes a little bit of bravery to find it.” Ali Devries, Danaher.
3) "An ally is someone who can stand beside us when we need support, stand behind us when we need backup, and stand in front of us when we need protection." Tracy Walker, Unilever.
4) "Companies must focus on creating an environment that will allow people to improve their core capabilities - including emotional intelligence and critical, adaptive thinking - and inclusive and diverse practices." Monika Jankowska-Rangelov, State Street.
5) “Whether you’re LGBTQ+ or an ally, every single person’s journey is different. If you are able right now to lead out loud in the workplace, please do be visible. Please be vocal, please challenge behavior and please be you.” Cara Heaney, EY.
6) "We need people who will seek out transgender people in different professions and see if there's things that they can do to uplift those people. We need people who are going to stand up when they see injustice in the workplace." Tona Brown, musician, educator and activist.
7) “Life is made richer with new experiences. But it's only possible to fully appreciate them when you can travel as your authentic self. Yet our research shows that over half of LGBTQ+ travelers have had less than welcoming experiences.” Olivia McEvoy, Booking.Com.
8) “Allyship is about people being visible in their support. I often find that when people share they have a gay relative, family member or close friend, it gives a lot more credibility to their support for minority community settings.” Benjamin Grout, Moody's.
9) "Our progress is because we protest. And it does not happen quietly, it will happen year after year. That's who we are. We protest for all the people who got us to where we are now, but we still have to protest for ourselves as a way of healing." Vipul Bhatti, MSc Cognition and Computation Student.
10) "I am crystal clear that the privileges I live with today have been fought for by the generations before me. Then even further back, there were folks who are nameless who lived in silence and in hiding just because what they what you know what was in their hearts wasn't allowed. Those sacrifices deserve my pause, that's what Pride Month is for me. I encourage everyone to recognize the privilege you have today that you can live your lives more openly because again, this price was paid by folks back in the day." Chris Glass, Soho House.
Read related myGwork articles here:
myGwork Celebrates WorkPride Success at London’s Sea Life
What Is WorkPride and How to Get the Most Out of It?
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