Workplace Pride 2021 Highlights

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16 December 2021

Workplace Pride began 2021 by expanding our LGBTI acronym to LGBTIQ+ to embolden inclusion.

To explore this and especially dig deeper around the “Q+” part, Workplace Pride held a webinar with Ali Buck of the Young@Workplace Pride program, Fred Benedosso from ASML, and Joel Bedos of IDAHOT and the SOGI campaign. From three very different perspectives, they discussed aspects of the various definitions of the term “Queer” both in the past and present day.

Click here to view the webinar.


The 2021 Global Benchmark 

On February 1st, one of the key components of Workplace Pride, the Global Benchmark survey for 2021 opened.

This yearly benchmark is an online tool designed primarily to measure the LGBTIQ+ policies and practices for internationally active employers. Participants receive a detailed report of their current situation broken down into actionable sections, which include concrete suggestions for improvement.

Click here for the 2021 Global Benchmark Results and Analysis report.


Hot on the heels of the Global Benchmark, on the 10th of February, Workplace Pride held a fascinating webinar entitled “Rainbow Families” with Moderator Jelle Martens (Board member of Workplace Pride).

Guests, Sara Coster of Meer Dan Gewenst, Karin Geerts from ING and Bianca Busser from HEMA. They discussed employment conditions for parents in “Modern” families, personal stories of starting a family as two women and Bianca gave a great presentation about HEMA being for “everyone”.

Click here to view the webinar.


Also in February Workplace Pride collaborated with the Central European University and launch its Executive MBA International Fellowship.

The Central European University’s Executive MBA distinguishes itself as the EMBA for the Open World – a rigorous, research-based mid-career managerial degree program that confidently integrates progressive Open-Society values into its curriculum, in view of their pivotal importance as to success factors for entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders in the post-industrial economy.

Click here for the full article.


In March, our Academia@Workplace Pride program held an extensive webinar around expectations international LGBTIQ+ students have when they come to study in the Netherlands. Is there enough social safety to be yourself, and what do universities and colleges do to create a solid safety net?

What challenges and obstacles do students face, and if and how it affects internships. The role of companies in organising safe internships was also discussed.

Click here to view the webinar.


To continue advancing inclusion and belonging for the full spectrum of the LGBTIQ+ community at work, home, and society at large, the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) collaborated with Workplace Pride and Out & Equal to host a Global LGBTIQ+ Innovation Jam on the 13th and 14th of April.

Click here for the full re-cap.


On the 29th of April, Workplace Pride in collaboration with Catalyst held a fascinating webinar on Intersectionality. It explored the many ways people identify themselves and the impact it has had on their workplace experiences.

Click here to view the webinar.


In May, Workplace Pride launched its very own app on iOS and Android platforms giving members access to our website and more in the palm of their hands! In addition, our physical publication “New Horizons” transitioned to an online-only format.

Only available via the app, the “New Horizons Online” lets members share articles whilst new members gave strong testimonials to their commitment to LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion.

Click here for more details.


A major milestone for the year was our International Symposium in Hungary. This was hosted by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Hungary and took place on IDAHOT day (May 17th, 2021), addressed a broad range of issues when it comes to LGBTI inclusion in the workplace. 

The Symposium was opened by René van Hell, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hungary. He emphasised the significance of IDAHOT and how united the European Union is in achieving the goal of raising awareness of human rights violations against the LGBTI community. The Ambassador also noted that Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union today had published a declaration on behalf of all EU member states to support this goal.

Click here for a full re-cap.


In the wake of a tumultuous 2020 where countless social norms were deeply affected by the global pandemic, Workplace Pride made the difficult decision to hold a truly hybrid conference at the Amsterdam Theatre on the 25th of June.

With a global online audience of over 400 and a live in-house audience of close to 100 Workplace Pride members, the conference opened with a powerful montage of the struggles and solidarity of the LGBTIQ+ communities around the world where there is still so much work to be done. David Pollard, Exec. Director of Workplace Pride opened the conference by touching on the breadth of seismic societal changes that have occurred in recent times. The changes range from the Hungarian government banning any portrayal of homosexuality in education or on television to Poland creating “LGBT-free” zones where LGBTIQ+ people have no protection against hate crimes. In Brazil, legal attempts are even being made to remove “gender” and any talk of homosexuality or transgenderism from school curricula! 

Click here for the full re-cap.


Workplace Inclusion Day at World Pride Copenhagen August 18th was kicked off with an empowering speech by the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Petra de Sutter, herself a member of the LGBTIQ+ community. With a keynote entitled “LGBTIQ Workplace Inclusion from the State level”, it really was a passionate call to action.

Click here for the full re-cap.


“Inspiration through solid leadership and acknowledging true LGBTIQ+ leaders”

2021 saw a pandemic-weary world slowly re-open and it was clear that things had changed.

Last year saw cultures and societies straining under the pressure. Yet, despite all the obstacles, people soldiered on while leading the way for broader inclusion for LGBTIQ+ people in the workplace. In spite of adversity, our community and their employers made the stark realisation that we have to work together, even more, to push LGBTIQ+ progression in such tumultuous times as these. 

With no opportunity to have a Leadership Awards Gala last year, this year’s Gala had record-breaking attendance and was held at Het Scheepvaart Museum (The Dutch National Maritime Museum) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Post-Gala feedback from members and new members alike has been overwhelmingly positive for this major event. Worthy award winners and top scorers in the Global Benchmark 2021 had the chance to celebrate! We truly wish you all a wonderful holiday and cannot wait to dive into the new year to meet the challenges ahead!

Click here for the full re-cap.


Creating workplaces where everyone can be themselves is a priority for modern businesses around the world. People that feel included and have a sense of belonging at their places of work are more productive, better team players, and make a greater contribution.

Dubai is in the very unique position of being at the crossroads of the modern world, both geographically and economically. Nothing exemplifies this better than Expo 2020 Dubai which offers a rare opportunity to highlight the Emirate’s role as an agent of change. This is also true when it comes to introducing more diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the Middle East and the global hub that Dubai has become.

The “DUBAI: A New Vision for Diversity and Workplace Inclusion” conference will address the barriers as well as the opportunities facing businesses in regards to their diverse workforces, their clients/customers, and their suppliers. It will explore the various themes of D&I, how they can each be catalysts for making progress, and how they tie into corporations’ global goals and policies. Finally, it will explore how international investors look increasingly at the breadth of a businesses’ engagement when it comes to equitable workplaces and the impact this will have on decision-making.

Date/Time: 3 February 2022 15:00 – 19:00
Location: The Capital Club, Dubai

Participants: Major private and public sector employers, international HR &
D&I specialists, representatives of diverse and diplomatic communities.

Participation in the conference is by invitation only. 

If you are interested in participating or would like to be kept up to date about the event, please write to [email protected]