{"id":94315,"date":"2019-05-31T02:21:05","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T02:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=433155"},"modified":"2019-05-31T02:21:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T02:21:05","slug":"microsoft-celebrates-pride-takes-action-for-equity-and-visibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/05\/31\/microsoft-celebrates-pride-takes-action-for-equity-and-visibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft celebrates Pride, takes action for equity and visibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fifty years ago, on June 28, LGBTQI+ patrons and allies at New York City\u2019s Stonewall Inn stood up for justice demanding an equal life free of persecution. This year, as more than 4,000 Microsoft employees march in Pride parades in more than 60 cities and 30 countries around the world, we invite you to join us in pushing inclusion forward.<\/p>\n

To commemorate the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, we\u2019re taking action for equity by donating to LGBTQI+ nonprofits. Plus, we\u2019re releasing limited-edition products<\/a> designed with and by the LGBTQI+ community.<\/p>\n

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YouTube Video<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Microsoft has a history of LGBTQI+ inclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

For us, Pride is an opportunity to reflect on our past and galvanize for action. We started our inclusion journey early in the company\u2019s history, introducing sexual orientation in our non-discrimination policies in 1989. In 1993, we were one of the first companies in the world to offer employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners. In 2004, we added gender identity to our Equal Employment Opportunity statement and started providing gender affirming healthcare services. Since 2005, Microsoft has attained a top  score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, which indicates that Microsoft is establishing and applying policies to protect the LGBTQI+ community.<\/p>\n

Our journey is just beginning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today, Microsoft operates in over 120 countries, most of which still don\u2019t provide legal protections for LGBTQI+ individuals. This year, Microsoft\u2019s Pride campaign is all about the actions that our employees and customers are taking to advance inclusion. GLEAM (Global LGBTQI+ Employees and Allies at Microsoft), our LGBTQI+ resource group, worked with many of our teams to develop products to create visibility into the LGBTQI+ community.<\/p>\n

In designing this year\u2019s Pride campaign, LGBTQI+ designers and allies at Microsoft reflected on the LGBTQI+ rights movement of the 1970s. Dozens of LGBTQI+ community members and their allies submitted designs for campaign buttons displaying everything from personal statements to political slogans. These buttons reflect actions that people at Microsoft are taking and are encouraging others to take.<\/p>\n

Microsoft is releasing all the button designs as a downloadable archive<\/a> so everyone can use them, add to them and share their Pride with everyone, wherever they are.<\/p>\n

\"Several<\/a><\/p>\n

For the first time, we\u2019ve also created limited-edition products and curated content to show our continued support for the LGBTQI+ community.<\/p>\n