News

29 March 2023

Thank you to everyone who attended the “Insights Into Supplier Inclusion & Diversity” event on March 16th, 2023, at the beautiful Royal Groote Industrieele Club in Amsterdam and online around the world. This event was co-hosted by the BeNeLux LGBTIQ+ Business Chamber and Workplace Pride, and was made possible with generous support from EGLCC, the European LGBTIQ Chamber of Commerce, GGLBC, the German LGBTIQ+ Business Chamber, and The Roze Ambassade.

There were more than 75 participants in attendance, which demonstrates the importance of this topic to Workplace Pride members, and entrepreneurs in the BeNeLux business community.

A special thank you to the following speakers for their knowledge and expertise:

This event, moderated by Workplace Pride Executive Director David Pollard, gave specific insight and unique perspectives from businesses, large and small.

As 52% of individuals want to work for a company with a Supplier Inclusion and Diversity program, the key message of this event is clear – our European business community in BeNeLux and beyond is eager and ready to dive deeper into this topic. The session showed that large corporations have a great deal to offer smaller LGBTIQ+ owned businesses when working together in a mutually-beneficial way. Likewise, it was demonstrated that corporations can benefit immensely by having closer business contacts with LGBTIQ+ entrepreneurs.

If you could not attend the event or are looking for additional recourses, please see below:

For a recording of the event, please click here

To download the presentation, please click below:

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The five designated Workplace Pride Communities regularly host events to connect our members and learn from each other. On Wednesday, 15 February 2023, Tech@WP and Academia@WP combined their efforts in a single event hosted at the Green Village of the TU Delft. At The Green Village, knowledge and educational institutions, entrepreneurs, government bodies, and citizens can research, experiment, validate, and demonstrate their sustainable innovations in the built environment. This informative event offered participants the opportunity to meet other Workplace Pride members from tech industry and academia alike. It was also a great opportunity for TU Delft to increase its visibility among the LGBTIQ+ community in general, and to contribute to awareness about the topic on their campus. 

Each of the three speakers spoke about Diversity & Inclusion within TUDelft; the significance of architecture for the LGBTQ+ community; and how to connect climate change and sustainability; including through social structures.

David Keyson D&I Officer TU Delft kicked things off with the statements that “If you are not explicitly working on diversity, you are being exclusive” and “If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable are going to fall through the cracks”.  With this he immediately set the tone for why equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is important within TUDelft. Keyson said “We believe that EDI is the right thing to do. It is our moral dutyto be equally accessible to all. It is also our responsibility to offer an inclusive campus where everyone can take part in the organisation and feel they belong”. “Equity, diversity and inclusion enhances wellbeing, which is required for optimal creativity and productivity and therefore enriches innovation and the societal impactof our university. Moreover, diversity is broadly recognised as a valuable asset that provides a pathway for world class research and innovation, and strengthens our commitment to excellence. TU Delft seeks to develop the expertise of tomorrow’s engineering leaders. By providing for an inclusive environment and developing basic principles and skills for equity, diversity and inclusion we enable students positive change in their communities through their professional and personal leadership, we expect our engineers to become inclusive leaders and contribute to social coherence in society in the future.”

Download David Keyson’s entire presentation below

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Dr.ir. Dirk van den Heuvel is a professor of architecture and urbanism at TU Delft. He has written extensively on the topic of queer architecture, which refers to the ways in which architecture can reflect and contribute to queer culture and identity. Van den Heuvel argues that architecture is not neutral, but rather deeply intertwined with cultural and societal norms and values. He contends that traditional, heteronormative architecture reinforces binary gender roles and reinforces oppressive power structures. Queer architecture, on the other hand, seeks to challenge these norms and create spaces that are more inclusive and welcoming to people of all genders and sexual orientations. This can take many different forms, from designing spaces that are more fluid and adaptable to creating buildings that challenge traditional notions of beauty and aesthetics. Van den Heuvel also argues that queer architecture can have important political and social implications. By creating spaces that are more welcoming and inclusive to queer people, architecture can help to challenge and subvert dominant power structures and create more equitable and just societies. Overall, van den Heuvel’s work on queer architecture highlights the importance of considering the ways in which architecture can reflect and shape cultural norms and values, and encourages architects to create spaces that are more inclusive and reflective of the diversity of human experience.

Download Dr. ir. Dirk van den Heuvel’s entire presentation here

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Prof.dr.ir. Andy van den Dobbelsteen, is a Dutch architect, researcher, and professor of Climate Design and Sustainability at the Delft University of Technology. He is known for his research and innovation in sustainable building design, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and circular building materials. Van den Dobbelsteen has been involved in numerous research projects and initiatives aimed at advancing sustainable building practices. He has also collaborated with various organisations, including governments, industry partners, and academic institutions, to develop innovative solutions for sustainable building design. Van den Dobbelsteen indicates that climate change hits us all, but the impact is not divided equally or righteously, not between regions, not between rich and poor, not between genders. Therefore, he emphasises: ”Those who are responsible and who have the means, they should help others in solidarity”. He therefore ended his engaging lecture with the encouraging words: “Key for social sustainability is connecting, and thus connecting between all groups in society, within and without certain groups, acknowledging differences and helping each other”.

Download Andy van den Dobbelsteen’s entire presentation here

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The visit was concluded with a tour of the Green Village, where experienced students guided the participants through this unique field lab at the centre of the TU Delft Campus. The research at the Green Village focuses on the implementation of sustainable solutions in the urban environment and exploring the implications on neighbourhood, street and building aspects. The Green Village is a place where people live, work and learn, beyond standard rules and regulations. With access to the innovation ecosystem of the TU Delft, science is literally around the corner.

Click here to view all photos of the event.

Click here to view the video of the event.

Click here to read the subtitles of the video.

One of the ambitions of the Workplace Pride’s five ‘Communities’ is to strengthen co-operation and networking in each area of interest. For Tech@WorkplacePride this covers the Tech Industries in the broadest sense of the term and includes the additional goal of strengthening the community by exchanging knowledge about D&I.  

One way that Tech@WorkplacePride facilitates this exchange is to organise several activities per year together with Workplace Pride’s member organisations. As a great example, Tech@WorkplacePride, along with 25 participants from amongst the Foundation’s members, visited Maersk at their Rotterdam Harbour facilities last November. With their head office in Copenhagen, Maersk is the global integrator of container logistics and has been a Workplace Pride member since 2021. 

The Tech@WorkplacePride delegation was treated to a presentation by Wallace Wang from Maersk about their D&I policies and achievements, and of course about their eye-catching rainbow containers.

In the presentation, Wang pointed out that Maersk’s policy is to “collaborate, not compete, on diversity” with other companies. They strike collaborations with companies such as Puma, one of their customers, to work together on their D&I policies. 

According to Wang, respect for diversity is a core value at Maersk, and it is a basic responsibility not to discriminate against any of their employees. Discrimination bars people from living up to their full potential, creates inequality and less stable and prosperous societies.

Maersk also believes in diversity of thought to continue to improve and develop their business. Facilitating a culture where everyone feels comfortable, respected and fairly treated which will in the end not only affect Maersk but also all of their stakeholders and partners.

Proof of this cooperation can be seen in the picture below of the Maersk D&I team, where two of the Maersk D&I team wear a blue Puma sneakers, with the logo of Maersk imprinted at the back.

Following the presentation and lunch, the group had an impressive bus tour to view the automated cargo off and onloading of the containers in the harbour as well as one of the biggest cargo vessels in the world. Impressively only the first few meters of the onloading is done by hand nowadays. The rest of the process, including driving electric wagons (AGV: automated guided vehicles) that move the containers around on the dock, is fully autonomous and sustainably electric.

The bus tour concluded with a presentation at the facility about the logistic processes of Maersk. 

During the Q&A afterwards it got even more interesting, when the group began discussing the D&I policies on the work floor among production-floor employees. Obviously, Maersk is a worldwide company working with all nationalities which sometimes makes it challenging when it comes to inclusion. While physical health and safety are already at the core of Maersk’s culture, there is still room to grow on the social safety and diversity aspect. On this last point, it was positive sign that this group of 25 LGBTIQ+ people made their way through the facility as it enabled the D&I group of Maersk to make a connection there as well. 

Participants from Tech@WorkplacePride included representatives from Workplace Pride members  ARCADIS, ASML, IBM, Saxion, TU Delft and the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and they were very grateful to Maersk for their hospitality. 

Tech@WorkplacePride’s ambition in 2023 is to undertake more company visits and they will start with one at Delft University of Technology in February. Even visits outside the Netherlands are possible so members of Workplace Pride who are interested to host such an event, or who have any questions can contact the group at tech@workplacepride.org.

Friday, 16 December 2022

As part of its contribution to the 5-year Free to Be Me (F2BM) Project that aims to improve the lives of LGBTIQ+ people in 14 global south countries, Workplace Pride recently organised the first Socio-Economic Roundtable in Africa. This event, which was held at the residence of the Netherlands Ambassador in Nairobi, Kenya brought together representatives from local civil society organisations, businesses, and the diplomatic community. 

This ‘tripartite’ of stakeholders stimulates interaction between LGBTIQ+ civil society organisations and businesses in these 14 countries with the goal of strengthening business and social contacts. Workplace Pride members will be engaged throughout the length of the project through their offices and activities in the project countries. 

The Civil Society Toolkit, which was developed jointly by Workplace Pride, Open for Business, and the Other Foundation and funded by the Global Equality Fund, featured prominently in the roundtable and will be used on an ongoing basis in the F2BM project. 

This model of Socio-Economic Roundtables will continue in Manilla in Q1 2023 with further sessions planned in Rwanda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Indonesia later in the year. The Roundtables have been created after extensive research with all stakeholders and will be complemented in 2023 by a Mentoring Program that brings practitioners in the business world in direct contact with LGBTIQ+ individuals in the project country. 

For more information on Workplace Pride’s contribution to the F2BM program, please contact david@workplacepride.org 

Click here to view the full report of the Socio-Economic Roundtable in Nairobi:

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15 December 2022

The concept of “Purple Friday” was inspired by Spirit Day in the United States, which was first held in 2010 as an expression against bullying of LGBTIQ+ youth. It is a day that calls for solidarity, focusing primarily on the LGBTIQ+ community youth and, in particular, educational institutions. Purple Friday is widely celebrated in schools in the Netherlands but is becoming increasingly seen in higher education institutions and even in the corporate world. 

To focus more on what the day means for employers as well as students, Workplace  Pride and Student Pride Netherlands organised a hybrid lunch session at the Foundation’s offices that brought together various stakeholders dealing with this topic. Academia@WorkplacePride, one of five ‘communities’ within the Foundation, was in the lead with this informative panel discussion that included representatives from student associations, universities, and the corporate world. Co-Moderated by Workplace Pride Co-Chair, Michiel Kolman, and Chantal van der Putten, Chair of Student Pride Netherlands, the session answered both the “Why” of Purple Friday as well as some practical steps that can be done to increase acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people in schools and universities. The general consensus was that teaming up and combining efforts will have the greatest impact going forward. 

The enthusiastic discussions also explored practical topics such as gender-neutral toilets in educational institutions and how gender registration can have a direct impact on students and their well-being. Finally, all of the event was captured in a lively ‘cartoon graphic’ that highlights the main takeaways (see below).

Thanks go to all speakers for their insight as well as to the in-house and online participants who helped bring a bit more clarity and inspiration to Purple Friday! 

Click here to see the video of the event

Click below to download the illustration:

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Wednesday, 7 December 2022

As we approach the end of 2023, Workplace Pride can look back at another year full of challenges and achievements. To provide our members a good overview of this year’s events, we held our Annual Members Meeting on Thursday, December 1st. The meeting was hosted by Adyen, a Foundation Leader member of Workplace Pride at their beautiful new office in the heart of Amsterdam.

Adyen’s CFO, Ingo Uytehaage, opened the event along with his colleague Allan Nunes who explained the great progress the company is making on LGBTIQ+ inclusion. David Pollard, Executive Director of Workplace Pride, and his colleagues then took the in-house and online attendees through an overview of the achievements and milestones of the year, followed by a glance toward the year to come. 

Workplace Pride is grateful to its members and the LGBTIQ+ community for their support this past year. We look forward to the ongoing cooperation in 2023 as we work together to create workplaces where everyone can truly be themselves! 

Click below for the Annual Members Meeting Presentation 

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Click here for the recording of the video