Every month at Microsoft Unlocked, we celebrate stories from the heart and soul of innovation. Our inaugural edition is all about Pride. Brought together by LGBTQIA+ employees and allies, it’s an open invitation for everyone to join in.
This fight is our collective fight.
It knows no boundaries and no borders.
Atif
Cloud marketing team
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“Being united has never been more important – helping Ukraine, supporting LGBTQIA+ communities and all people there should be everyone’s utmost goal.”
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“I repeatedly heard that queer rights were a ‘white’ issue… I believe true power lies in intersectionality. By coming together across borders, we can be more effective.”
Our employees’ stories prove there’s no town too small or village too remote for Pride. Though some may try to confine or legislate against LGBTQIA+ communities, Microsoft employees invite everyone to join in the actions and calls for justice and equity across all borders – be they geographical, societal or ideological.
Last June fans asked us to release an Xbox controller for Pride. Here’s what happened next…
Queer representation matters,
visibility matters
SG
Team Xbox
Our Pride collection is celebrating the nuance, intersectionality and strength of LGBTQIA+ communities by bringing together over 30 community flags in fine, interwoven and energetic designs. To honor this release, we’re donating a total of $170,000 to nonprofits that advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights around the world.
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Surface
Break the boundaries with the limited-edition Skin, celebrating many LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Windows
Bridge borders with new Windows wallpapers inspired by the flags of LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Xbox
Explore the new Xbox Design Lab controller, curated games, community stories, nonprofit partnerships and more – all created by and with LGBTQIA+ communities.
“So many borders are imposed to separate us. To divide us from where we come from, who we are and how we see ourselves…to be accepted there is not only one way to be.”
Create a welcoming space by choosing from 36 evocative 3D backgrounds for your video calls inspired by the flags of LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Yes! There’s a Pride theme in Microsoft Teams mobile apps.
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Choose from five Pride themes for your Outlook mobile app.
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Pride is the word, especially in Word.
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Why not add a little bit of Pride to your decks?
Hear from activists, gamers and advocates about intersectionality, representation and how we can bridge borders and bring about collective change in an immersive “Pride has no borders” Microsoft Pride event on 10AM-12PM Pacific time, June 17th – hosted in AltSpaceVR and streaming live on YouTube.
“Around the globe, women are still seen and treated as less – and we often bear the brunt of society’s expectations. Women are powerful – and when we thrive, everyone thrives.”
Inequality doesn’t respect borders. So we drive to LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equity around the world, both through our own internal policies as well as external advocacy efforts
John Galligan
Global Public Affairs, Microsoft
This Pride, LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft are illuminating the interconnected nature of the challenges we face – and calling for a unified global response across all borders, both real and perceived.
Developed with the global LGBTQIA+ employees and allies across Microsoft, our campaign celebrates the nuance, vibrancy and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities – and how closely they’re connected. Thirty-three flags representing different LGBTQIA+ identities, one Ally flag and one Polyamory flag make up this year’s designs. We hope they remind you that by coming together across groups and bridging borders, we can create change for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond.
Our work doesn’t start or stop with Pride. Microsoft introduced sexual orientation into our non-discrimination policies in 1989 – and we’ve been driving LGBTQIA+ inclusion ever since.
In 1993, we began offering employee benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, making us one of the first companies in the world to do so. We stood as a public supporter for marriage equality even before it became legal in the United States – and we continue to advocate for every type of family.
Today, we operate in over 120 countries, many of which still don’t provide legal protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals. By supporting our employees through global advocacy, charitable giving and better workplace practices, we’re hoping to make a difference for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond, as our drive for positive global impact continues.
Stories from the heart & soul of innovation coming soon on Microsoft Unlocked.
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July 2022From accessibility to sustainability, culture to science and radical tech to trending topics—there will be more to explore. Bookmark this page and visit us again in July for more Unlocked content.
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Access For AllA new alphabet for an ancient people promises to preserve their culture and connect their community.
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It’s Happening
Technology echoes human expression
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It’s HappeningExplore the maximal collections behind the founder of minimalism.
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Access For All
With assistive technology, injured veterans reconnect with the music war took away.
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Changing the GameMinecraft changed video games forever. Can it democratize how we design urban spaces?
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For Life On Earth
Their world is a mirror of our world. What happens to them happens to us.
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For Life on EarthCalifornia’s water is disappearing. How can smarter design help turn the tide?
From accessibility to sustainability, culture to science and radical tech to trending topics—there will be more to explore. Bookmark this page and visit us again in July for more Unlocked content.
A new alphabet for an ancient people promises to preserve their culture and connect their community.
Explore the maximal collections behind the founder of minimalism.
Minecraft changed video games forever. Can it democratize how we design urban spaces?
California’s water is disappearing. How can smarter design help turn the tide?
“Show your Pride” is available in the following apps.
iOS: Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Office, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Android: Outlook and Teams Mac: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. In Outlook, you can find the Pride themes in Settings > Appearance. In all other apps, you can find Pride theme in Settings.
Progress Pride Flag ©quasar.digital LLC 2022. Polyamory Pride Flag by Molly Colleen Bennett Wilvich, CC BY-SA 4.0.