Happy Pride Month from TBG! Each year, Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the history, achievements, and culture of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community. Joining in on Pride conversations and celebrations is extremely important to our firm, as we aim to cultivate an inclusive and respectful workplace for all our People, while working toward a more equitable future for all.
“Part of our ‘To Be Greater’ culture is creating an environment where everyone can be themselves and show up authentically. Celebrating Pride empowers us To Be Genuine by appreciating and including everyone in our firm and communities,” shared Andrew, our Manager of DE&I.
Throughout the month, we’ve participated in local Pride parades across our firm’s footprint and learned about LGBTQ+ history and terminology as part of our DE&I Lunch & Learn Series, hosted by our DE&I Council’s Education Committee. Most importantly, we’ve reflected on what Pride means to us as individuals and why it’s so critical that we celebrate Pride as a firm. Read on to hear about what Pride means to our People!
Looking Back at How Far We’ve Come
Although the Gay Liberation Movement began in the United States decades ago, it took many years of advocating and fighting for equality for the LGBTQ+ community to have the rights and support that it has today. This history and battle for equal rights is one of the reasons Sam Capuano, Director within our Advisory & Consulting Service Line in Albany, made it a priority to attend the Albany Pride parade with TBG. “I remember for many years there was no Pride parade in the community, so the fact that Albany has a parade and TBG was going to have a presence excited me,” Sam said. This year was his first time attending his local Pride parade, and he had a wonderful time marching with his TBG colleagues. “I truly enjoyed seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces – it was such a joyous event!” he added.
Our Human Resources Business Partner in Dallas, Karin Mitchell, is passionate about celebrating Pride year-round because her sister is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “When my sister came out over 20 years ago, she struggled because there was very little support in the community she grew up in,” said Karin. “Today, my hometown has a loud and proud community that celebrates who they are in an authentic way,” she added.
We’ve come a long way in achieving equality, but it’s important to recognize that there’s still progress to be made to ensure that every member of the LGBTQ+ community has equal rights. Staff Accountant in our Buffalo office, Ashley Seymour, says “celebrating Pride is a reminder of how far legislation has come, but it’s also a reminder of how far we still have to go when breaking down biases and stigmas.” Inclusion is a journey with no set end goal – it’s something we can strive to be better at each day. Talking about how we can better support all our People, loved ones, and communities is an important step forward.
Visibility & Authenticity
A core aspect of celebrating Pride is supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community who aren’t comfortable coming out yet. Being visible to those who aren’t forthcoming about being in the community is important to Ashley – “as a member of the community myself, Pride is a great opportunity to say ‘hey, I’m here, and this is who I am’ so that others know that there’s someone else like them that can relate,” she said. Ashley appreciates seeing TBG and her colleagues joining in on Pride celebrations because it shows other employees that they’re welcome to be their authentic selves and they’ll be supported. “That visibility to my fellow employees is valuable, whether they choose to be out at work or not,” Ashley said.
Like Ashley, Karin strives to foster an environment where those around her feel comfortable showing up as their true selves knowing they’ll be accepted as they are. “Enabling and empowering everyone to be their authentic selves allows us to support each other and gain some perspective,” said Karin. She welcomes companies like Bonadio talking about Pride because members of the LGBTQ+ community typically couldn’t bring their whole selves to work before Pride was widely accepted and celebrated. “Everyone is entitled to be who they are – any step toward including otherwise marginalized groups is a step in the right direction,” Karin added.
Celebrating with Our Communities
Pride Month is a special time of the year because it’s an opportunity for communities across the country to come together and support one another. “It’s important to show that we’re committed to supporting everyone in our local communities, especially because Bonadio gives back on an ongoing basis,” said Sam. Pride parades are a wonderful opportunity to step out into our communities and show up to support every individual for who they are. “Attending the Pride parade in Buffalo showed the community that we care,” said Ashley. It’s an honor to march in local parades across our firm’s footprint holding our Bonadio banner to show that our workplace welcomes everyone.
Karin found that she connected with her TBG colleagues on a deeper level after attending the Dallas Pride parade. “It sparked conversations between us, and we realized something new that we have in common,” said Karin. Whether we’re members of the LGBTQ+ community ourselves, have a loved one in the community, or simply support as an ally, Pride brings us together over supporting everybody. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to connect with my colleagues, learn something new about them, and bond over our shared support of the LGBTQ+ community,” Karin added.
As Pride Month draws to a close this year, it remains a priority to make everyone feel included, welcomed, and accepted as their authentic selves year-round at TBG. “We’ll continue the journey to make our firm a more inclusive workplace because there will always be room for us to improve,” said Andrew.
If you are interested in learning more about TBG’s involvement with the 2024 Pride parades, feel free to reach out to Andrew Stephens, our Manager of DE&I, at astephens@bonadio.com. And if you would like to learn more about our other DE&I initiatives at the firm, check out this page!
