Trinseo | Celebrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Pride Month

June 05, 2022

Celebrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through Pride Month

June offers a month-long celebration of Pride every year; a time dedicated to uplifting and celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community and is commemorated with rainbow flags, large parades, and marches.

The recognition of Pride, however, is rooted in the history of the LGBTQ+ community’s struggle to achieve equal justice and opportunity. Pride Month events honor the U.S. Stonewall Riots of June 28, 1969, when police raided The Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s West Village. Though raids were commonplace for LGBTQ+-friendly establishments at the time, the Stonewall raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents, leading to six days of protests. These events were a catalyst for change, leading to the formation of numerous gay rights organizations and marking a new era.

The Importance of Pride and DE&I

Though the global community has made significant progress on LGBTQ+ rights since these events, the fight for equity is far from over. Many communities still face daily prejudice simply based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability, or religion. It is up to us as a society to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices into the workplace, and not just during the month of June.

At Trinseo, it is part of our core values to treat all those with whom we do business with respect and integrity, and we work to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for our employees that fosters innovation and creativity.

Not only do we believe in cultivating such an environment, but there is also a clear business case for it. According to McKinsey & Company, organizations that are diverse are more profitable and more likely to outperform less diverse organizations. So, we see our commitment to DE&I not only as the right thing to do, but as a clear competitive advantage. Embracing DE&I also helps employees feel safe and respected. This sense of community and general well-being can also increase productivity. With diversity also comes greater innovation. Individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives can bring new ideas to the table, positively affecting an organization’s ability to innovate.

Even with the embracement of the diversity of our global workforce in all forms, we still recognize we have progress to make, and we are taking intentional steps to ensure our culture represents our core values, so our employees feel valued and respected for who they are every day. As part of our transformational journey and 2030 sustainability goals, we are mapping out a strategy to attract and retain diverse talent, so we can continue to bring varied perspectives and experiences into our workforce.

Our executive team and I are excited to celebrate Pride Month with colleagues across the globe, recognizing the vast contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. As part of my new role, I am focused on fostering an equitable, inclusive workplace that celebrates our differences. We are committed to investing in DE&I and creating a safe, bias-free culture that sets everyone, no matter their background, up for success.

Learn how you can support the LGBTQ+ community by visiting the LGBT Foundation website.