2023-06-06 16:53:47
In addition to thematic resources for its applications, the company presents a global Make Pride campaign and makes a donation of US$ 200,000 in support organizations for the cause
São Paulo, June 06, 2023 – To celebrate LGBTQIA+ pride month, Microsoft announces the Make Pride campaign, with several initiatives that will take place in Brazil and in the world during the month of June. Reinforcing its global commitment to diversity and inclusion, the company launched a special website called Unlocked Pride, which brings together content, stories from people in the community, events and resources aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. In São Paulo, the company and its employees will be present at the 27th LGBTQIA+ Pride Parade next Sunday, June 11th.
Among the initiatives presented this year, the global campaign for the month of pride, “Make Pride” made a contribution of US$ 200,000 in institutions such as OutRight International, Casa RaraStonewall, SAATHII e GLAAD.. In recent years, Microsoft and its employees have donated more than $15 million to community support organizations. LGBTQIA+, last year alone it was US$ 1.4 million. The company also released new Windows wallpapers and a special theme for select Microsoft 365 apps, both inspired by flags of the LGBTQIA+ communities and open source designs for everyone to co-create and share together. Microsoft Teams also gained 50 new representative virtual funds in support of the cause.
Projects aimed at diversity and inclusion also extend to the games division. Xbox Game Studios Publishing is announcing a long-term partnership with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to increase LGBTQIA+ representation in Xbox games. In addition, a series of thematic products, such as T-shirts and bags, can be found in the brand’s official stores. In the Microsoft Store, it is also possible to explore games, movies and TV shows selected by LGBTQIA+ communities. Promoting diversity and inclusion is part of Microsoft’s business strategy and is one of the fundamental pillars in its mission to empower each person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. To this end, the company adopted a code of conduct that includes strict non-discrimination policies and actions to promote inclusion and a sense of belonging among its employees, such as mandatory training to identify unconscious biases and training allied to the cause. In its infrastructure, bathrooms without distinction of gender were adopted, the offer of the extension of the health plan for several treatments, including fertility and gender affirmation for trans people, in addition to giving the option for homoaffective couples to choose between maternity leave or parenthood.
The company has supported the LGBTQIA+ cause for over 25 years. In 2016, the company created the GLEAM pillar (Global LGBTQIA+ Employees and Allies at Microsoft), established to represent all LGBTQIA+ employees at Microsoft. “At Microsoft, we see Diversity and Inclusion as a constant learning journey, as we know that society is always changing and, as a company, we need to keep up with these movements. In Brazil, GLEAM helps us a lot in this process, promoting debates and helping to build training and renew internal policies”, explains Danni Mnitentag, GPS and leader of Diversity and Inclusion at Microsoft.
In addition to the actions promoted throughout the year with employees, customers and partners, the company marks, once once more, its presence as a supporter of the LGBTQIA+ Pride Parade in São Paulo, one of the largest in the world, which takes place on Avenida Paulista. Microsoft is inviting all of its employees to attend the parade to celebrate love in all forms, achievements and support the fight for equal rights.
“We know that diversity and inclusion play a key role in driving innovation and sustainable business growth. It is with great pride that we participate in initiatives like this, contributing to support the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and the fight for equality”, says Danni Mnitentag.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation in the era of the intelligent cloud and the intelligent edge. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. The company has been in Brazil for 34 years and is one of the subsidiaries of Microsoft Corporation, founded in 1975, which is present in over 190 countries. From July 2021 to June 2022, the company invested more than US$ 15 million in donations and discounts for non-profit entities, impacting more than 2,000 institutions with software donations, discounts for purchases and support for training projects. With the launch of the Microsoft For Startups Founders Hub, 443 new startups were approved, totaling 703 supported startups, which together have consumed USD 11,898,488.00 of Azure cloud credits.
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