At Fortune Brands, we believe that all associates should feel respected and comfortable being their true selves, and we strive to create a culture that offers and reinforces this principle.
June, celebrated as Pride Month, offers an opportunity to learn about the LGBTQIA+ community and for people to be celebrated for their true selves.
Throughout the month, the Fortune Brands Pride Alliance led a number of events focused on inclusion, education, celebration and allyship within the company and the communities where we live and work.
Stonewall and Beyond
To kick off June, the Pride Alliance invited Plexus – an LGBT & allied Chamber of Commerce located in Cleveland, Ohio – to present to associates on the history of Pride.
Starting with Stonewall, a series of protests that are widely regarded as the watershed event that transformed the gay liberation movement, the presentation covered several historic figures and events that impacted progress on rights.
The presentation followed the history until present day, when the group walked through current policies and laws that are impacting the community.
“The event was important because it educated people on the history and tremendous progress of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also gave a good idea of where we are at today and how much further we have to go,” said Zach Hubel, co-chair, Pride Alliance.
March with Pride
With a focus on the communities where our associates live and work, Fortune Brands also sponsored Pride festivals in Cleveland, Ohio; Waukegan, Illinois; and Jasper, Indiana.
At the festivals, Fortune Brands associates set up information tents to show support. The tents allowed associates to talk about career opportunities and provided a recruitment platform for the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to the festivals, Cleveland Pride also held a march in which associates from Water Innovations participated.
“Visibility and representation are important, so our goal is to be at every Pride event where our colleagues work,” said Emily Martis, co-chair, Pride Alliance. “We want associates to know that they can have Pride no matter where they’re at.”
Pride Alliance Meeting and Drag Bingo
To mark the end the month, the Pride Alliance invited associates to take part in its second quarter meeting. During the meeting, the group discussed their main goal for the year – expanding representation, retention and advancement for LGBTQIA+ associates – and progress they’ve made on each of their strategy pillars, which include community building, education, growing membership and becoming an employer of choice.
The meeting also included breakout sessions, where small groups of associates were able to network and discuss a range of topics in a comfortable setting.
Following the meeting, the team invited associates to participate in virtual drag bingo hosted by Veranda L’Ni, an award-winning drag performer based in Cleveland.
Pride Beyond June
While June is recognized as Pride Month, Fortune Brands and the Pride Alliance work throughout the year to encourage inclusivity.
Later this year, the Pride Alliance is going to benchmark the company with the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index – the national benchmarking tool measuring policies, practices and benefits pertinent to LGBTQ+ associates. This will provide the company with a score which will set the foundation to grow from over the next few years.
The Pride Alliance will also be hosting several events throughout the remainder of the year, including several in October surrounding National Coming Out Day.
Pride Alliance has a goal of reaching 500 members by the end of 2022 and is open to associates regardless of orientation or gender identity and expression – including straight allies showing their support. All Fortune Brands associates can join Pride Alliance, or any of the Fortune Brands Employee Resource Groups, by reaching out to their HR business partner to learn more.
