“EQUALITY ISN’T A GAME. BUT ACHIEVING IT WILL BE OUR GREATEST VICTORY. UNTIL WE ALL WIN.” - NIKE
Well-known sportswear giant Nike has a long history of speaking up for causes that reflect its values. Nike believes in the power of sport to unite and inspire diverse communities. As Pride month kicks off, Nike is once again showing their LGBTQIA+ support. Apart from their yearly BETRUE collection - that was founded in 2012 by Nike designers in the LGBTQIA+ community and Nike’s PRIDE Network seeking to build a community diverse in orientation, identity and expression focused on community initiatives to advance equality in sport - the brand has been providing financial and in-kind support to LGBTQIA+ causes since 2017. As a part of their Pride Month celebration this year, Nike US is recommending $500,000 to 20 organizations with a focus on advocacy in sports, creating safe spaces and elevating the history of the LGBTQIA+ community.
"It's about more than makeup" - MORPHE
Besides all the beautiful, rainbow-colored products available and donating 100 % of the net proceeds of their limited-edition Pride collection each year, Morphe pledges their LGTBQIA+ support by partnering with, and donating to, non-profit organizations that share the brand’s values so that they can continue to make a positive difference within the LGTBQIA+ communities. Since 2019, Morphe has donated 100% net proceeds of their annual Pride collections to support the LGBTQ+ community through their partnerships with The Trevor Project & GLSEN. To date, Morphe’s annual Pride collections have raised $895K in support of services and opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth and students. This year, Morphe is excited to once again team up with The Trevor Project by helping the organization fund crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ youth.
“Progress is made. Right here. With you.” - IKEA
20 years before it was cool to cast gay couples, IKEA made a pioneering ad featuring a male couple shopping for a dining room table together. So, it goes without saying why IKEA is included in this article. IKEA has a long-standing history of supporting equality of LGBTQ individuals. The global giant actively aims at creating a fully inclusive work environment, contributing to a positive change in all areas of its business and in society. IKEA has been recognized for leading the industry with many inclusive benefits for LGBTQ co-workers and their families.
Additionally, as part of its commitment to integrate diversity in all areas of work processes and business practices, IKEA has sold more than 3.5 million of IKEA’S iconic LGBT+ rainbow flag bags since 2019 in 26 countries, with part of the STORSTOMMA carriers proceeds being distributed to support local LGBT+ initiatives, charities and causes chosen by IKEA stores across the globe – ensuring funds are directed to those from the LGBT+ community who need them most.
"Pride is a part of our past and future. It’s a part of us." Levi’s®
Since the inception of Levi Strauss & Co in 1853, the denim brand has championed equality, inclusiveness and progress. From standing shoulder-to-shoulder with concerned employees during the rising HIV/AIDS epidemic, to working to overturn Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, Levi’s® has always put principles before profits. In 1992, Levi’s® also was the first Fortune 500 company to extend health benefits to same sex partners, and since then it has worked hard to promote equal rights and fair treatment for LGBTQIA people everywhere.
The denim brand is also proud to celebrate the LGBTQIA community each year with an annual Pride collection and by participating in Pride events across the globe. Alongside this, Levi’s® has been supporting the LGBTQIA community by partnering up with OutRight Action International (for a couple of years now) an organization that works to advance the rights of LGBTQIA people all over the world. 100% of net proceeds from Levi's® Pride collections go to OutRight Action International.
“Love drives” - Toyota
Toyota admires and applauds the differences that make everyone unique and celebrates the love that drives us all, across the Toyota family and in communities around the world. This is also the inspiration behind their #LoveDrives campaign. Next to that, Toyota US has been honored for 11 years with a perfect score of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Toyota was also one of the first automotive companies to provide comprehensive domestic partnership benefits back in 2002, and continued to demonstrate its support of LGBTQ team members by expanding tax benefits, adoption support and transgender health benefits.
Toyota’s commitment to diversity doesn’t stop within the company however. Across the globe, Toyota partners with, and invests in a variety of organizations to help build positive, affirmative environments in which the diverse members of our communities, including LGBTQ, can live and make stronger contributions towards an ever-better society for all. Toyota supports dozens of local and national LGBTQIA organizations including Trevor Project, GLADD, Point Foundation, Lambda Legal, Victory Fund, Out & Equal and the Human Rights Campaign.
“We’ve always been fluid” - DIAGEO
Diageo has supported the LGBTQIA+ community through a number of non-profit organizations including Lambda Legal, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Out & Equal, HRC, PRIDE NYC, PRIDE Atlanta, PRIDE Chicago, PRIDE Houston and the overarching organization that took in and managed donations in support of One Orlando, in the wake of the tragedy at PULSE, the Orlando gay and lesbian nightclub.
In 2018, Diageo, through its iconic “Love Wins'' campaign with the Smirnoff vodka brand, announced a commitment to donate nearly $1.5 million to the HRC by 2021. Diageo also was one of 76 major companies representing 1.1 million workers to sign the HRC’s amicus brief supporting equality and LGBTQIA+ in the workplace. Recently Diageo also announced a quite progressive global parental leave policy providing 26 weeks of paid parental leave, applicable to all employees who are new parents, regardless of gender, and whether they become a parent via birth, surrogacy, adoption or foster care. With policies and practices such as these, Diageo hopes to challenge the status quo and help drive societal change.
“We believe in proud allies for all” - NYX Professional Makeup
NYX Professional Makeup is a proud ally of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, all year round. Through donation, raising awareness & education, and celebrating the Center’s members, the L'Oréal brand supports the services of the LGBT Center. Last year in partnership with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, NYX Professional Makeup launched a digital educational resource platform which featured a series of video training sessions. The "Proud Allies for All '' program solidified NYX Professional Makeup's long-term commitment to the LGBT community. Globally, NYX Professional Makeup is working towards having all employees complete the ally education training in order to formally establish the brand as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community.
This Pride, NYX is partnering with HBO’s “Legendary” to celebrate the ballroom scene with a #NYXCosmeticsBall Instagram challenge that sees contestants competing for a $5,000 prize. The category, of course, is FACE. Apart from that, NYX is also donating over $100,000 this year to global Pride efforts, including a donation to the LA LGBT Center.
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