Rolls-Royce Pride

The start of June kicks off Pride month – a celebration of LGBTQ+ people around the world.

Across Rolls-Royce, we’re committed to championing individuality and inclusion to create a working environment where everyone belongs and can be at their best.

That’s why we’re celebrating Pride and our LGBTQ+ colleagues across Rolls-Royce globally. We’re running a series of exciting events through our Global Inclusion Network, and we spoke to our LGBTQ+ network Chairs to find out more.

A Pride Month packed with celebration

A Pride Month packed with celebration

In Indianapolis, our North American LGBTQ+ inclusion network, Propel with Pride, is kicking off the month by raising the Pride flag outside our facility on the 1st of June.

Nick Burger has been Chair of Propel with Pride since the end of 2022, alongside his role as Supplier Quality Manager, Control Systems. “Here in the US, Pride Month is an excellent way to celebrate and remember our community and give ourselves visibility, but also reflect on the things that still need to change,” says Nick.

“We’re planning some shared virtual events with our UK inclusion network, Prism to celebrate our bi and pan community, and hear from some of our trans colleagues about their personal experiences. We’ll also be joining the Indianapolis Pride Parade and enjoying happy hours and ‘Let’s Grab a Bite Together and Learn’ sessions throughout the month!”

Danni Ashford, Project Lead, Service Readiness has been on the Prism committee since joining the business in 2019. “Pride Month is a great opportunity to spotlight our whole LGBTQ+ community coming together and highlight why it’s important to have pride and not feel as if you have to hide yourself in the workplace,” explains Danni.

“Over the month we’ll be holding loads of events about why it’s important that we still celebrate Pride today and sharing stories as a powerful way to connect with the community.”

Meanwhile, 67 colleagues from 17 locations and nine countries from across the globe come together for the formation of the Rolls-Royce virtual choir. The sessions, run by top choir director Paul Russell, will be recorded for a celebratory Pride music video and are also helping our signers learn breathing exercises that can boost wellbeing in day-to-day life.

Supporting each other all year round

Our inclusion networks provide valuable resources for our LGBTQ+ people and allies throughout the year, as well as during Pride Month.

Danni and the Prism network are involved in active engagement both internally and externally, meeting with leadership teams to discuss the harms posed by homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, and attending STEM and careers events.

In North America, Propel with Pride has helped to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ resources across the business and create a culture that fosters individuality and empathy. Nick and the Propel with Pride team work closely with benefits providers to ensure insurance and medical coverage are available for issues that specifically impact the LGBTQ+ community.

Championing progress

In the UK, Jake Hallas was nominated as an Outstanding Network Lead in the Bank of London Rainbow Honours 2023. Rolls-Royce North America also received a perfect score for the fifth year running in 2022 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

“Being part of Prism is something I do because I’m passionate about inclusion at Rolls-Royce,” continues Danni. “Since I joined the network, I’ve seen more and more engagement and focus on the community. It’s an unstoppable march of progress that wouldn’t be possible without the people who put in the work before me.”

Nick adds: “It’s great to see that we’ve enabled a culture where everyone can arrive at work as they are and have the opportunity to work at their best. And not just for those in the community but for everyone.”

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