While tremendous strides have been made in the past few decades, there is still sadly a long way to go when it comes to achieving equality and liberation for the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court ruling of 2021 — which confirmed that the prohibition against sex discrimination in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) also includes employment discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status — many members of the LGBTQ+ community still face discrimination in the workplace. According to a survey from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, one in 10 LGBTQ workers face discrimination, with LGBTQ employees of color being more likely to experience verbal harrasment and job rejection.
The tech industry is generally considered to be progressive, but even in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, many people fall through the cracks due to lack of resources, poor protections, and often, ignorance.
Companies That Support The LGBTQ+ Community
- Addepar
- IBM
- PayPal
- Getty Images
- Skillshare
- QuickBase
- Workhuman
- Sprout Social
When it comes to creating an inclusive workplace, there can be no half measures. Many companies have come under fire for perpetuating “pinkwashing,” a term used to describe when companies utilize Pride aesthetics for marketing purposes rather than making tangible commitments toward pursuing LGBTQ+ equality. In worst case scenarios, companies without true commitments to empowering those communities may adopt rainbow flag imagery during Pride Month, all while channeling funds toward political or economic organizations that pose a direct threat to LGBTQ+ people.
On the bright side, there are also many companies in the tech industry who walk the walk when it comes to securing justice for all. Rather than speaking up about LGBTQ+ issues only when it is advantageous to them, these companies have taken real steps to ensure that people of all sexualities and gender expressions are celebrated and empowered all year round.
If Silicon Valley companies take the right steps toward achieving equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, they can set an example for the rest of the world to follow suit.
These tech companies support the LGBTQ+ community consistently, taking concrete steps to fight for justice and equality well beyond Pride Month.
Companies That Support LGBTQ+ Employees
Location: Seattle, Washington
Trupanion has committed to establishing at least eight employee resource groups, and its first was TruPride, a group made up of LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. TruPride meets each month to discuss various relevant topics and initiatives. The group also hosts events like happy hours and game nights. Trupanion has also been an active participant in Seattle’s yearly Pride parade. The company says it seeks “to offer an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and has the ability to contribute to our collective success.”
Location: Austin, Texas
Canva allows users to create and share content like social media graphics, posters and more. Canva actively supports the LGBTQ+ community through several initiatives, including a visual content algorithm that promotes diversity and inclusion in relationship-based search terms; a pride collection of templates and photos; a multi-year partnership with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and WorldPride; and membership in Intertech Australia, which advocates for diversity in the tech industry. The company also has an inclusive practices policy that enourages users to identify pronouns on applications and the internal intranet, as well as regular training sessions on sexuality and identity in collaboration with local and global LGBTQ+ organizations.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Bounteous’ leadership team created a company taskforce to address diversity and inclusion in the office and beyond, through which they host events and embark on initiatives to create a stronger and more accepting work environment for all. Additionally, the company has set up a number of resource groups, community discussion spaces and mentorship opportunities for their LGBTQ+ employees, POC employees, employees with disabilities and others who need extra support.
Location: San Jose, California
PayPal offers benefits that support LGBTQ employees, including surrogacy and adoption assistance as well as an extensive benefits package catered specifically to transgender employees. The company also strives to support employee’s mental health through free access to the Calm app.
Location: San Francisco, California
Motive offers a productivity and security platform with its use of IoT devices and artificial intelligence. It helps track compliance, equipment and driver safety across industries like food production, logistics and construction. The company says it actively supports communities like Lesbians Who Tech, and it has an employee resource group called MoPride
Location: New York, New York
Sportstech company GameChanger provides an app that offers streaming, scorekeeping and game scheduling for youth sports organizations. The company’s inclusive benefits package ensures that both birthing and non-birthing parents are eligible for generous parental leave, and their recruiting processes intentionally eliminate all bias. A trusted partner of Lesbians Who Tech, the company will be hosting a booth at the group’s annual Pride Summit.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Home Chef is a subscription-based e-commerce service that sends pre-made meal kits to customers, who assemble and cook them at home according to included instructions. Customers who don’t have the time or the skill sets to shop for and make a meal from scratch, or who dislike the food waste that can accompany shopping for ingredients at the grocery store, use the boxes to prepare fresh, chef-designed meals in minimal time. The company is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. It converted the bathrooms in its plants to gender-neutral spaces and sponsors its LGBTQIA+ employee resource group CookOUT.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Having received 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign on its Corporate Equality Index every year since 2006, The Coca-Cola Company is a long-term supporter of the LGBTQ community. The company’s support has ranged from offering transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage and working in multiple states to fight against anti-LGBTQ Religious Freedom Restoration Act legislation.
Location: New York, New York
Harry’s, which specializes in razor blades and grooming products, ensures that the benefits it offers can be extended to all employees and their families, regardless of gender or sexual identity, including parental leave for employees of all genders and walks to parenthood, medical insurance that includes coverage for gender-affirming care and benefits that can be extended to employees’ spouses and domestic partners of any gender. Additionally, Harry’s worked with its office building and neighboring tenants to change its floor’s restrooms to all-gender use in 2019.
Location: Fully Remote
VelocityEHS makes EHS, or environment, health and safety, compliance software. Client companies use it to ensure that they are meeting or exceeding standards for providing and facilitating safe and healthy workplaces. These EHS standards allow employees to thrive while contributing to efficiency and reducing risk. The company is an outspoken ally of its LGBTQ+ team members and the larger community. It offers transgender employees administrative and cultural support through transition by, for example, handling name and gender changes swiftly and without friction.
Location: Armonk, New York
IBM has a history of fighting for LGBTQ rights. For example, it added sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy in 1984, began providing Domestic Partner Benefits in 1996 and added “gender identity or expression” to its Equal Opportunity Policy in 2002. The company also has a business development team that partners with IBM to retain and support diverse talent and implement LGBTQ-inclusive benefits. The company also offers an LGBTQ+ Council that is working to end HIV discrimination in the workplace.
Location: San Francisco, California
Thumbtack is a platform for homeowners to get personalized guidance and find businesses or professionals to complete their home maintenance and improvement projects. It offers resources and tools for small businesses to attract customers. The company has a Proudtacks ERG that receives a budget for events and hosts a monthly externally led virtual event to discuss a variety of LGBTQ+ and DEI topics.
Location: Seattle, Washington
Getty Images consistently seeks new opportunities to improve how historically underrepresented communities are visually represented on a global scale and launched a formal partnership with GLAAD and Ceros to develop a series of guidelines that will help photographers, customers and team members better understand the nuances of identity throughout the broader LGBTQIA+ community. The company’s internal D&I team hosts globally reaching monthly open sessions that help its employees share topical resources, build relationships and create regional best practices while also enhancing their knowledge, skills and awareness of D&I related issues
Location: Austin, Texas
Adobe’s “Adobe For All” campaign is the backbone of its culture and encourages the company’s development and support of LGBTQ initiatives. Adobe is also recognized as a “Best Place to Work” for LGBTQ+ Equality by the HRC with a score of 100 on its 2021 Corporate Equality Index. The company also shares updates on internal progress and programs for transparency.
Tapestry the holding company for luxury brands Coach, Stuart Weitzman and Kate Spade New York. It develops its brands e-commerce sites with digital tools and features. The company hosts its “Prouder Together” employee resource group, is a member of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, has spent years on the Forbes “Best Employers for Diversity” list and offers employees gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, primary care, and mental health support
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The PNC Financial Services Group is a giant of the U.S. banking industry, providing online, mobile and in-person customer service and financial expertise to its clients. PNC’s approach to diversity and inclusion aims to build an environment “where all employees feel welcomed, valued and respected.” That extends to its LGBTQIA+ employees, many of whom come together through the PNC PROUD employee resource group, which facilitates networking, education and volunteer opportunities.
Location: McLean, Virginia
Intelsat provides broadband connectivity to the commercial aviation industry. The company’s PRIDE@Intelsat ERG works to bring awareness to LGBTQ+ challenges around the world while also promoting a safe and inclusive environment for all Intelsat employees. Last year, the company hosted its first Inclusion Summit, featuring respected diversity and inclusion thought leaders speaking about how a diverse workforce improves profitability, performance and creativity.
Location: New York, New York
Zeta Global offers a cloud-based software platform designed to enhance marketing operations for brands, media agencies and digital publishers. The international company’s diversity, equity and inclusion commitment is evident through multiple employee resource groups, including one known as Zeta Pride that’s meant to serve as a safe, affirming community for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies.
Location: Bagsværd, Denmark
Novo Nordisk conducts clinical trials across the globe in pursuit of innovative medical treatments meant to have a positive impact on the lives of people who have serious chronic illnesses. The pharmaceutical company says it proactively works to make diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging a priority at every level of the organization. For example, Novo Nordisk’s list of employee resource groups includes Novo Equal, which was established to support LBTQIA+ employees and their allies. The company’s efforts to promote disease awareness and access to healthcare resources among traditionally underserved populations has also included the LGBTQIA+ community.
Location: Long Island City, New York
Optimum is an enterprise telecommunications company. It offers cable television, internet, cell phone and landline service to commercial and residential customers across the U.S. and is the fourth-largest such provider in the country. One of the company’s many employee resources groups is one that celebrates and supports its LGBTQ+ employees.
Location: Oakland, California
Block works to help users achieve economic empowerment. The financial services company offers an integrated ecosystem of technology products, including money transfer app Cash App, Tidal, which helps creators connect with their fans and an open-source platform called TBD that enables people to participate in the global economy. Block also consists of Square which helps businesses diversify their revenue and manage cash flow.
Location: San Francisco, California
The team at Alto Pharmacy, a startup that provides a platform for prescription refills and delivery, participates in the AIDS/Lifecycle, a yearly bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in order to raise funds for fighting AIDS and supporting LGBTQ+ communities.
Location: Fully Remote
During Pride Month, Drift’s leadership team celebrates by highlighting the ways LGBTQ+ trailblazers have impacted the world of sales and marketing, as well as honoring the ways past leaders like Marsha P. Johnson paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights. The company also offers leave for primary and secondary caregivers.
Location: Fully Remote
Skillshare’s LGBTQIA+ employee resource group was the company’s first established ERG and is designed to highlight the intersectionality of identity, doing so by partnering with other ERGs and allies throughout the organization to celebrate individuality and discuss plans for institutional change, initiatives and feedback. The ERG is also paired with an executive sponsor who acts as both a mentor and an advocate for the larger Skillshare LGBTQIA+ community.
Location: Mountain View, California
In addition to helping LGBTQIA+ employees feel supported year round with a variety of training programs and crucial resources, Addepar also formed its AddePride affinity group, which is run by LGBTQIA+ community members and allies and aims to foster an accepting environment at Addepar and in interactions with clients. The AddePride team also works hard to support the LGBTQIA+ community outside of Addepar, raising money for AIDS Walk NYC as well as funds for the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, in partnership with the company’s BOLD affinity group.
Upside offers retail software that returns cash back rewards and discounts to customers who spend at brick-and-mortar stores that include gas stations, grocery stores and fast food restaurants. The company has an executive-sponsored Affinity Group Up+Pride group that hosts activities such as a book club and Drag Queen Bingo. It also has a partnership with Out in Tech.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Sprout Social places a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, centering inclusivity as an integral part of their company culture and hiring efforts. Everyone in the company is expected to play a role in encouraging acceptance through the DEI committee. Additionally, the Sprout Social leadership team aims to promote full visibility into their efforts by publicly releasing DEI reports and specific initiatives such as bias training, community engagement and a variety of special resource groups.
Location: Fully Remote
The Predictive Index is an HR tech platform that aims to help companies optimize their talent through a suite of products including validated hiring assessments and pulse surveys. The company says DEI efforts are core to The Predictive Index’s mission. It works to support and serve its LGBTQ+ workforce through ERGs like Queer@PI, while also prioritizing an inclusive work environment.
Location: Somerville, Massachusetts
Throughout the month of June, Smartbear released a series of blog posts centered on their LGBTQ+ leaders and team members, conducting interviews about what Pride means to them, and what it means to live authentically as a part of the tech world. By providing the opportunity to share their experiences and what they'd like to see companies do for their marginalized teammates, it helps the company improve and gives industry peers standards for inclusivity.
Location: San Mateo, California
Achieve is a personal finance company that aims to help its customers reach a stable financial future. Its Pride ERG champions an inclusive, supportive environment for LGBTQ+ team members and allies, and the company’s values of empathy, compassion and kindness drive everything it does, and a culture of collaboration, integrity and care span the entire org chart.
Location: Louisville, Colorado
In 2020, Duda’s leadership team put together a press release outlining ways to celebrate pride while social distancing, compiling a list of safe virtual and car events near their offices which people could attend. Additionally, the company also has a donation match program of up to $200 in annual employee donations to organizations like the Matthew Shepard Foundation, True Colors United, the Transgender Law Center and other organizations.
Location: Fully Remote
Mission Cloud specializes in providing cloud services for AWS customers, offering consulting technology solutions to help organizations get the most out of their cloud environments. Data published on the Mission Cloud website shows the company has seen a 6 percent increase in LGBTQIA+ representation within its workforce since 2019. Its PRISM employee resource group aims to serve as a safe space to bring LGBTQIA+ employees together to network and address their concerns in addition to undertaking initiatives that build awareness and promote equal representation throughout Mission Cloud.
Location: Englewood, Colorado
DISH provides millions of customers with TV and internet service packages. In an effort to create a work environment “where all team members thrive,” the company maintains several employee resource groups. Its Out at DISH group centers around promoting inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community through network and education opportunities. Out at DISH events have ranged from speaker panels and volunteer activities to walking in Pride parades.
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Liberty Mutual is a long-established presence in the insurance industry, offering all varieties of common and niche insurance products, from homeowners and workers’ compensation policies to aviation and crisis management policies. The company is a proud and outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, sponsoring Pride parades in the cities where it holds offices and maintaining the Pride@Liberty employee resource group.
Location: Fully Remote
Grindr offers a platform for members of the gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer communities to explore dating options and connect with fellow users in their area. The company has committed to the mission of ensuring that both their workplace and the world beyond are safe and empowering for all sexual and gender identities. Under the moniker, G4E they pursue demographics research and social justice initiatives targeted toward ensuring social justice for the greater LGBTQ+ community.
Wipfli is an accounting and advisory firm that offers digital solutions to businesses. It aims to use its technology and consulting expertise to help businesses thrive. The company ranked in “Vault’s Best Internships for Diversity,” has a national partnership with Out and Equal and has a resources and benefits guide for employees who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Location: Denver, Colorado
Given that supporting mental health is their main focus, SonderMind aims to provide services that are inclusive and empowering for LGBTQ+ patients seeking emotional support. The company published a comprehensive pillar page on sexuality, gender and mental health for professional use. The page includes statistics on mental illness and suicide rates among members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as guides on inclusive language to use when treating patients on a spectrum of sexuality and gender expressions.
Location: New York, New York
Comcast Advertising calls itself “a global leader in media, technology and advertising.” It’s part of Comcast, which has an OUT@Comcast employee resource group to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion internally. The ERG held its inaugural Pride Summit in 2023. As part of its Digital Navigators initiative for expanding access to internet services and digital skills building, Comcast also partnered with the LGBT Technology Institute, according to the company’s 2024 Impact Report.
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Location: Chicago, Illinois
Grubhub offers one of the most well known mobile and online food ordering services. It grants users access to special deals, 24/7 customer support, coupons and reviews. The company says it has impacted LGBTQ+ owned businesses nationwide through its partnership with NGLCC.
Location: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Cencora offers pharmaceutical solutions for animals and people. It connects patients, manufacturers and providers to ensure that users receive their therapies when and where they need them. The company says it ensures the impact it makes on a monthly basis by hosting inclusion-focused programming and working with partners that address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Northwestern Mutual provides insurance, investment and financial planning services for millions of individuals, families and businesses. The company has repeatedly been recognized for earning a 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates companies’ policies and practices that impact LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Thousands of Northwestern Mutual employees are active in the company’s eight employee resource groups, which include PRIDE, an employee-led community for LGBTQIA+ team members and allies.
Location: Austin, Texas
Oracle supports LGBTQ employees by offering an ERG called “Oracle Pride Employee Network''. Through the ERG employees are able to participate in networking events, online groups, and organize company events that raise awareness of issues in the LGBTQ community. The company also consistently highlights LGBTQ content from its employees and shares insights from its leadership.
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
PatientPoint makes a portfolio of patient engagement software products that educate patients as healthcare consumers. Through patient education and communication tools, like in-office smart screens programmed with relevant health information and automations for provider communication, the company aims to improve relationships between patients and healthcare providers. The company is a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community, sponsoring numerous Pride events and celebrating an in-house Patient Point Pride Day where team members are encouraged to dress up, share their pronouns and contribute to clothing charity Out of the Closet, which serves trans and GNC youth.
Location: New York, New York
Braze offers a customer engagement platform with capabilities for boosting brands’ marketing efforts so they’re able to better engage their audience. As part of the company’s “inclusion-first approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” Braze has taken several steps to foster a supportive work environment for LGBTQIA+ team members, and its efforts have been recognized with the Equality 100 Award from the Human Rights Campaign. Initiatives implemented by Braze include giving employees comprehensive and inclusive healthcare coverage as well as creating the Pride @ Braze employee resource group.
Location: Farmington, Massachusetts
Workhuman maintains a strong focus on diversity and inclusion efforts for their LGBTQ+ employees and community. The company publishes a number of insights and updates on how their team leaders are working to undo unconscious bias by attending conferences, holding space for people to share their experiences, and instituting concrete policies that protect their more vulnerable employees.
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Toast has several employee resource groups, including Multigrain, which is “a community for LGBTQIA+ Toasters and allies.” The company created its Council of Advocates for Equity, known as CAFE, to bring together various employee identities and perspectives to promote business practices that prioritize diversity and inclusion for both Toast’s workforce and customers. Toast offers inclusive employee benefits such as access to trans-affirming health care and family-forming programs. Among the many awards Toast has received for its workplace culture is recognition of its LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
