Celebrating Pride: Embracing love, diversity, and allyship

As we celebrate Dotdigital Pride Week, we’re delighted to bring all our employees together to commemorate Pride, which varies globally. Pride extends far beyond mere celebration. It serves as a powerful reminder to reflect on the remarkable achievements of the LGBTQ+ community while reiterating our unwavering commitment to the ongoing quest for equality.

In this blog, the Dotdigital unites to celebrate the beauty of diversity, pay tribute to the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, and spread love and understanding. It’s important to recognize the power Pride has, and how important it is to so many. Dotdigital is proud to support Pride all year round and celebrate our differences.

Jenna Hogue, Senior Trainer

Hi, I’m Jenna, and I’m one of the Trainers on the Training Team. What does Pride mean to me? Pride to me means family, love, and strength. Pride hits pretty close to home for me as my older sister, who just happens to be my best friend in the world, is part of the community. I watched her grow up in a small conservative small town in the 1990s and face nothing but oppression from society, her peers, and even from my mother, unfortunately, after she came out. 

Despite it all, though, she kept her cool, kept on fighting, and came out on the very top. My sister bravely never left the area we grew up in, and she’s proved herself and become one of the most successful female business owners ever in the area. I’ll always admire her for being so fearlessly authentic and fearlessly herself, and that’s something to admire about people in the community every single day. Happy Pride, everyone!

Sharon Godfrey, Senior Digital Creative

Pride is about standing up for the right of everyone to be their true selves, to love who they want to, and not to face any discrimination in doing so.

A couple of years ago, my 13-year-old son was doing his art homework which involved designing a Converse-type boot in whichever pattern or color he wished. He finished one picture and announced he wanted to do another one but wasn’t sure what to do. “How about doing one for Pride?” I suggested. He knew all about this as I’d just participated in the London Pride march. “Yes, good idea,” he said and set to work.

After he’d done it, he was really pleased with the work and took it proudly into school.

Unfortunately, this resulted in an onset of so-called “joke” name-calling, bullying, and, quite frankly, homophobic slurs by some of his classmates. He came home quite visibly upset and told me straight away what had happened. I said I would report it to the school, I’m not generally one to make a fuss ever, but this was different. His response made me very proud indeed. He said he had already reported it, as although he could deal with the comments as they weren’t true – they were still upsetting. He then went on to say, “But, imagine if someone who was thinking of coming out or going through transition heard them say that to me, Mum, it might make them feel that it’s not okay to be themselves.”

I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder. This is what Pride means to me.

Isabel Munoz, Senior Marketing Manager

As a proud ally with many friends and family members who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride has such a special place in my heart. To me, at its core, Pride is ultimately the celebration of love being accepted for simply just being love and a community of beautiful humans being accepted for who they are and living in their truth. Pride is a time for those within the community to spread their love and their light and a time for all of us allies to help represent and promote the equality and visibility that they deserve.

Frank Brooks, Head of EMEA Marketing

The month serves as a reminder that we are part of a larger community, and it’s a time for us to stand together, uplift one another, and advocate for equal rights.

As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I recognize the privilege I have in certain aspects of my identity, being a gay white man in the UK. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there are still individuals within our community who face unique and significant challenges. Pride Month is an opportunity for me to reflect on my own experiences and educate myself about the diverse issues faced by those who are more marginalized.

By actively participating in Pride events and engaging in conversations, I hope to gain insights into the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals of different backgrounds. It allows me to be an ally and lend my support to those who may encounter more barriers and discrimination. Pride is a catalyst for empathy and action, inspiring me to work towards a more inclusive society where everyone feels safe, accepted, and valued.

Let’s make the most of this Pride Month by not only celebrating our own identities and achievements but also by amplifying the voices of those who need our support the most. Together, we can create positive change and foster an environment where diversity is embraced and celebrated every day. 

Also, another plug for what I believe to be one of the highlights of Pride month, Pride in London, which takes place on July 1st this year. I’m thrilled to be representing Dotdigital and walking alongside colleagues, friends, and allies in the parade. It’s always a memorable day filled with love, support, and a vibrant atmosphere.

Oliwia Tyralska, Campaign Marketing Executive

For me, Pride is a celebration and display of love, individual freedom, and openness to others. It’s a reminder that this important conversation continues to be necessary and that even in 2023, not everyone can openly love who they love because of their sexual orientation or can be who they want to be because of their gender identity. Acceptance and judgment continue to be huge issues in our society, and Pride is an important message to keep trying to break down barriers through education, awareness, and open conversations.

Sometimes Pride is simply about showing allyship through kindness and a smile, and sometimes, to this day, it is a protest in the face of unequal rights, cruel and damaging stigmas, and unfounded hatred. Pride is a beautiful coming together of people who care about and want to support each other and live peacefully in the same spaces, communities, and societies. Love is love, and love conquers all. Happy Pride.

Alex Cross, Product Marketing Manager

Pride isn’t just about tolerating a community; it’s about the love and respect of one. During Pride month, people welcome the LGBTQ+ community with loving arms, but it can’t be forgotten that others aren’t so tolerant. My neighbors fly their Pride flag all year round. And whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, their embrace is undoubtedly seen, valued, and appreciated.

This Pride Month, I heard a passerby with their young child who asked, “What does that flag mean?” pointing to my neighbor’s flag. The parent paused for a moment and responded with frustration: “I have no idea, I’ve never seen that before,” to which the child proudly replied, “I have!”. 

Perhaps that was true and this interaction completely harmless, but it made me think of all the times the LGBTQ+ community is overlooked rather than embraced and how decades of passiveness translate to intolerance. Small interactions like this matter. Year-round. 

It’s these seemingly innocent interactions that forge opinions that could later be damaging – or even deadly – to LGBTQ+ communities in the form of discrimination. For allies, Pride is the perfect time to acknowledge the gravity of microaggressions and provide a safe space to tell the story of a community that has given so much to the world in the form of culture, science, social activism, and beyond.

Small interactions matter just as much as the big ones, so next time someone asks what the Pride flag means or why we need Pride, talk about it! Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. Tolerance isn’t enough. Talk about Pride, learn about Pride, ask questions about Pride, and hopefully, we can bridge the gap between passive and active allyship.

Natasha Lainsbury, Content Executive

To me, Pride is all about celebration and representation. I think it’s easy for a lot of people to think that Pride isn’t needed and that acceptance is widespread, but sadly it isn’t. Pride is a celebration of how far the LGBTQ+ community has come in terms of rights and acceptance whilst also highlighting that there is still a way to go. 

Pride also serves as a beacon of love and acceptance to anyone who is LGBTQ+ or questioning who may not have supportive people around them. Pride is a time to celebrate and show people that there is a huge LGBTQ+ community and a huge community of allies too, who will have their back should they need it. Pride is about being who you are, living your life with no compromises, and remembering that love is love.

Embrace Pride

Let’s continue to embrace the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate their achievements while also working together to ensure every individual feels safe, accepted, and valued. From all of us at Dotdigital, we wish everyone a Happy Pride filled with joy, hope, and unity.