Committed to Pride Every Day of the Year
Tyler Wright
Senior DevSecOps Engineer, Engineering Shared Services
July 24, 2024
It may appear this 2024 Pride post is a bit behind schedule. And it is, sort of. I’d planned on publishing it as part of our month-long Pride series. But when I read what my colleague Kate Vance, Global DEI lead at Hitachi Digital, said about the importance of providing visibility of LGBTQIA+ issues and concerns year-round (and not just during June) it gave me an idea.
Commitment to Pride, All Year Long
Why, some may ask (I’ve actually heard it out in the world numerous times), dedicate an entire month to celebrating Pride?
The answer, quite simply, lies in the ongoing struggle for equality faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
The truth is, Pride isn't just a celebration. It's a vital acknowledgment of the challenges and injustices that LGBTQ+ individuals continue to endure on a global basis. The stark and sad reality is that, in some parts of the world, being openly LGBTQ+ can lead to severe penalties. Even death.
This harsh global sociopolitical landscape underscores the urgent need not only for recognition but for persistent advocacy and support. Pride Month catalyzes this awareness. While the positive impact grows year by year, true commitment to equality and equity must persist every day, all year round, until true equality is achieved.
Committing to Pride, for Everyone, Everywhere, All the Time
At Hitachi Vantara, and across all of Hitachi Digital, support for LGBTQ+ employees is clear and continuous.
Before any business travel, our Global Security and Operations Center conducts thorough checks to ensure safety for LGBTQ+ staff, providing a steadfast line of support. Our benefits are thoughtfully tailored to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals and their families, with services like Included Health that focus on finding affirming and supportive healthcare providers.
Moreover, our Employee Resource Group – Rainbow Connection – which I have the privilege of leading now in both the Americas and globally, enriches our workplace culture through educational webinars and engaging events such as Drag Bingo and Virtual Happy Hours.
What’s more, all employees and contractors participate in compliance training on an annual basis that emphasizes our core values: everyone is appreciated, accepted and treated as an integral part of our community.
Like I said when I first wrote about this a few years back, for me, it’s important to be able to be my true self in all aspects of life. That includes at work. I’m proud I can do that and committed to helping others do and feel the same way. Now that’s something to celebrate, any day of the year.
As Kate said at the end of her prior post, happy (belated) Pride Month. Or better yet, Pride Year.
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Tyler Wright
Tyler has been with Hitachi Vantara for over a decade. He currently serves as a Senior DevSecOps Engineer, managing the Waltham, MA data center where Hitachi Vantara engineers build and test our data storage products. He’s also the Global Lead of Hitachi Digital’s Rainbow Connection, the company’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG).
