On June 12, Poly participated in the “ReUNITED” themed 2022 Capital Pride Festival in Washington, D.C., as an Alliance Sponsor. These celebratory opportunities are important because they help us all reunite as a community and reflect on the challenges we have overcome as well as those we continue to fight. Because of the pandemic, this annual festival has not been held for the last two years, leaving many feeling isolated within the LGBTQIA+ community. This year’s festival was an opportunity for Poly to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ community and ignite stronger allyship among end users, partners and resellers who share our diversity and inclusion aspirations.
Vice President Kamala Harris opened the festival with a poignant speech that reinforces the importance of inclusion and the pursuit of “unity and coalition.” She outlines some of the very real fears and challenges marginalized people face. These fears can impact an individual’s journey and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. The Vice President’s speech can be seen in full here.
Many festival goers were excited to see Poly’s presence and our invested interest at the Capital Pride Festival. In an effort to increase visibility and expand our knowledge, booth visitors were encouraged to discuss their experience with Poly products as they learned more about Poly’s position as a company. Many of our visitors were current work-from-home professionals who shared their thoughts on remote work, distance learning and return-to-office projects. The Poly booth experience was not just about products and services. It was also about improved connection and perspective on people, families and inclusion, reaffirming the overarching importance of being one’s true self at home and at work.
As cited in McKinsey and Company’s How the LGBTQ+ Community Fares in the Workplace, approximately 5.1 percent of women and 3.9 percent of men in the United States identify as LGBTQIA+. Their representation in corporate America, however, is much lower than that. This disparity and the lack of overall inclusion at the corporate level illustrates why it is so important to be an ally and show up in solidarity during these major moments. We understand that being your most authentic self at work might not feel easy and is very personal, so at Poly, we are continuously working to support our employees’ journey and the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole, fostering compassion and inclusion at every level.
Thanks to the commitment and passion of many internal voices, Poly’s Inclusion, Diversity, Education and Awareness (IDEA) Program grows with every passing year, especially our PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG). This group helps build an inclusive work environment where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves, and their continued work has opened the door for external support opportunities.
Check out our blog for more Poly Pride stories and thank you to all who made this possible!