Top 10 Quotes from WorkPride 2023

myGwork celebrated its fourth annual WorkPride event this June, with an incredible line-up of passionate panelists discussing their experience as LGBTQ+ professionals and allies. In an increasingly diverse society, it’s vital to place inclusion at the forefront of not just business, but general social interaction.

As many of our panelists discussed, vocal and active allyship is more important than ever. With great advice and powerful personal perspectives, WorkPride provided participants with unique knowledge to improve upon their diversity and inclusion standards. Here are 10 amazing quotes from WorkPride 2023 to take with you.

1) “Allyship builds allyship. It's one of those things where you can bring people on the journey along with you. Get involved with your employee resource groups & communities in your neighborhood. Any first step is a great first step.” Courtney Zehnder, RS Group.

2) “Be what you want to be, when you want. I switched so many labels. When the shoe fits, it'll be comfortable because authenticity is comfortable. It just takes a little bit of bravery to find it.” Ali Devries, Danaher.

3) "An ally is someone who can stand beside us when we need support, stand behind us when we need backup, and stand in front of us when we need protection." Tracy Walker, Unilever.

4) "Companies must focus on creating an environment that will allow people to improve their core capabilities - including emotional intelligence and critical, adaptive thinking - and inclusive and diverse practices." Monika Jankowska-Rangelov, State Street.

5) “Whether you’re LGBTQ+ or an ally, every single person’s journey is different. If you are able right now to lead out loud in the workplace, please do be visible. Please be vocal, please challenge behavior and please be you.”  Cara Heaney, EY.

6) "We need people who will seek out transgender people in different professions and see if there's things that they can do to uplift those people. We need people who are going to stand up when they see injustice in the workplace." Tona Brown, musician, educator