Pride. In yourself, and those around you

To mark this month’s LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, we invited IHG colleagues to talk about the importance of bringing your full self to work – something that relies on many things, but particularly an inclusive and understanding culture; personal courage; and a feeling of safety and respect.

It’s an incredibly emotive topic – we’re all individuals, all unique in different ways, but it can be harder for some of us than others to find a sense of belonging. That’s one reason why Pride Month is so powerful, because it creates a place for an individual to say ‘this is me’, and a chance to educate others on just how crucial it is that we embrace people for who they are, and stand up for equality.

I’ve spoken often about how much IHG’s inclusive culture means to me, and about how the many nationalities, cultures, religions, races, sexualities, abilities, backgrounds and beliefs our colleagues represent is one of our great strengths. Hospitality is about welcoming the world in – we do that for our guests, and the same must go for everyone who works in our hotels and offices around the world, because when we bring our genuine self to work, we bring our best self. I couldn’t say it better than some of our colleagues have:?

Of course, the pandemic means the in-person events and gatherings that have become synonymous with Pride have sadly been far fewer once again this year, but people have continued to connect and celebrate online. All month, members of our Out & Open employee network and allies have celebrated Pride by holding talks across the business, including a panel discussion with KPMG’s Melanie Knight and Mariana Ceccotti, who both play key roles in their company’s Breathe LGBT+ Employee Network.

From Cardiff, Amsterdam and Bangkok, to Brazil, Tel Aviv, Atlanta, LA and beyond, I’ve also seen hotels and colleagues sharing our IHG Hotels & Resorts Pride logo alongside celebrating the importance of bringing your full self to work. The logo itself uses?a more inclusive set of colours – the Progress flag – which reflects the rights of people of colour and the transgender community, and is something we developed in close partnership with our Out & Open network, and leading LGBTQ+ NGO, The Trevor Project.?

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion landscape is both broad and complex, and while we should be proud of many things at IHG, we must remain ambitious to do much more. There is important work happening across the business to make sure we move forward in the right way – but as well as action, it’s critical to keep up the conversation. Different voices and perspectives are what cause us to reflect, challenge and lead us to the most powerful change, and so I want to thank all those colleagues who’ve shared their experiences during Pride Month, whether as a member of the community, or as an ally. I’m passionate that when we say one team at IHG, we mean it, in every sense. #IHGPride