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Strength in Solidarity: Learnings from our Pride Month celebrations

Pride flag

Pride Month saw our team engaged in celebrations, meaningful conversations and informative workshops, all organized by our employee-led Pride+ affinity group. The inclusive community, one of our many affinity groups that are a part of our global IDEA program, embodies Kin + Carta’s commitment to creating a safe, equitable and welcoming workplace. 

The people who make up Pride+ actively work to provide additional support to LGBTQIA+ employees while advocating for substantive changes within our organization. We’re thankful for all the work they do to champion inclusivity and for their incredible support through a successful Pride Month.

woman in office

To show our support for the trans community, we started the month by changing our logo to display the transgender flag. Across many countries, there has been an increase in anti-trans discrimination, impacting individual rights and freedoms. We cannot leave this unchallenged. Silence would render us complicit. Changing our logo was a clear statement of our unwavering commitment to the trans community and reflects our theme for Pride Month: Strength in Solidarity.

“Kin + Carta's ethos has given me the confidence to live authentically and whilst it's a particularly hard time to come out as trans; the support of my colleagues and exec has made it achievable. We need every single person to be a vocal ally and stand against the people who refuse to acknowledge our right to live and exist equally with our cis counterparts.” - Kathryn Thompson, Lead Data Engineer & Pride+ Affinity Group Lead

After announcing our logo change, we launched into a month full of activities to commemorate and celebrate Pride Month, including a panel discussion centered on the theme "The Importance of Building an Inclusive Workplace" hosted by Kin + Carta’s CEO, Kelly Manthey.

With a goal of creating empathy and building upon our culture of inclusivity, panelists Anna Fletcher Isaacs, Derrick Anderson, Kerrigan Baron and Kevin Ariza shared their experiences, unpacked what microaggressions might look like and how people can be more aware of them and shared allyship tips. These included identifying your privilege and considering whether questions are educational or for personal reasons.

Panel discussing an inclusive workplace

 

“Coming from a conservative small town in northwest Argentina, I never thought I'd be celebrating Pride with people from all around the globe. People who dared to proudly pour themselves into a safe community, which Kin not only supported but also shared tools that foster learning and growth.” - Cristian Daniel Vazquez, QA Consultant

“Part of making the world work better is ensuring we celebrate and represent diversity. As part of the panel, I realised that our diversity goes further than just being part of the LGBTQIA+ family - everyone had such a vast range of experiences depending on where we were based, our backgrounds and how we identified. I felt privileged to be part of such an intersectional group and proud to work for somewhere like Kin + Carta, which champions diversity.” - Anna Fletcher Isaacs, European Chief of Staff

 
In addition to the panel, workshops were held throughout the month, with sessions covering topics like “The Stress Container – Pride Edition'' and “Raising Awareness of the Violence Against the LGBTQIA+ Community.” One workshop, “My Long Walk to Womanhood,” was hosted by Katie Neeves, FRSA, and focused on the raw and honest story of her transition. The Pride+ group also hosted a special Book Club in honor of Pride Month, with groups across the globe reading “My Tender Matador" by Pedro Lemebel in both Spanish and English.
 
Pride Month culminated with more than 100 employees taking part in celebrations on Pride Day in Chicago, Denver, Washington DC, New York, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Edinburgh, Manchester and London. And, with employees marching in cities like Sofia and Edinburgh for the first time in Kin + Carta’s history. 
Pride celebrations in kin and cartas offices

Besides social hours with cocktails, mocktails and snacks, Pride Month included Kin + Carta’s Big Pride Quiz, the most inclusive quiz around, designed to celebrate the rich tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community. And of course, it’s not a celebration without music. That’s why our Pride+ affinity group curated a custom playlist for everyone to enjoy.

Progress toward inclusivity and equality is a continuous journey, and, at Kin + Carta, we are determined to play our part in dismantling structural inequality. While Pride Month may have ended, our support and dedication to fostering inclusion and equality for the LGBTQIA+ community goes far beyond a single month. Our global mission is to build a world that works better for everyone, and we will continue to push for progress.

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