The Pride and Joy Foundation is very excited to introduce you to our recipients of the Leaders for Inclusive Change Grant, which was generously funded by the Gamma Mu Foundation. This six-week course will provide information, tools, and resources for anyone who wants to start a Gay Straight Alliance, Rainbow or other Diversity clubs at schools. 

After reviewing an exciting round of incredible applicants, the decision was not easy. Our Board of Directors has selected two LGBTQ+ educators, Ær Queen (they/them,fen/fens) and Nicholas Prosini (they/them), as facilitators of Leaders for Inclusive Change.  Ær (they/them,fen/fens) is a trans non-binary General Music teacher at Bradock Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia in Fairfax County Public Schools. They are a proud alumnx of Shenandoah Conservatory at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia where they earned their Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Ær met Nicholas Prosini through...

How Pride and Joy Foundation’s Impactful Benefit Survey can increase diversity and talent retention in your workplace 

^{By: Becca Ladd}

When employers are looking to attract key LGBTQ+ talent into their workplace, a good place to start is with employee benefits. But how can employers looking to become inclusive leaders create a benefits package that truly reflects what LGBTQ+ workers are looking for and brings in those key employees? That’s where the Impactful Benefits Survey comes in.

How the survey helps the LGBTQ+ Community

The Impactful Benefits survey gives LGBTQ+ people, their allies and parents the chance to tell employers which workplace benefits are most inclusive and beneficial to members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you've been looking for a way to share your thoughts on workplace benefits, this is your chance to have your say.

The survey seeks to create the workplaces people in the LGBTQ+ community have been fighting for. Whether it's...

In the past few years, people are becoming more and more open and accepting towards the LGBTQ+ community. However, there is still a lot more to be done in order to achieve a safe and welcoming society for the community, especially in the corporate world.

Most companies nowadays have been making changes and "diversifying" their employee pool and welcoming LGBTQ+ workers since people are more eager and confident in fighting for equal rights. This is a huge step forward in the corporate world especially when there are still places in which simply not conforming to gender roles would already be considered "unprofessional" and "unethical".

But are these companies doing enough to provide the benefits that would most appeal to LGBTQ+ families? How are they measuring that?

Pride and Joy Foundation created a survey in order to guide the companies towards the first step in realizing how much of a positive impact they can have on the lives of LGBTQ+ families. This is about how these companies...

Pride and Joy Foundation is a proud Community Partner of ONE Community’s 5th annual Point of Pride LGBTQ Inclusive Summit. This year’s event runs June 21st-24th and begins with the up-to-the-moment State of LGBTQ+ Arizona presentation followed by three can’t miss panel discussions: LGBTQ+ Issues at the Capitol & Moving Forward, Building an Inclusive Workplace Culture, and Socially Responsible Business Advocacy

State of LGBTQ+ Arizona

The summit will kick off with a presentation on the importance of LGBTQ+ Workplace inclusion to attract and retain top talent to your organization, the current State of LGBTQ+ Arizona, and the path forward to a state that celebrates, respects, and protects us all presented by ONE Community President, Angela Hughey.

LBGTQ+ Issues at the Capitol & Moving Forward

The expert panelists Mesa Mayor John Giles, Regional COO of AMR/GMR and the Chair of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Glenn Kasprzyk, Glendale Chamber...

Takeyla Benton is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Analyst by day and revolutionary poetic bodhisattva soul every other day.

She has over 15 years of experience in banking management and career mentorship. She's a life coach, mystic, and guided meditation coach helping Black and Brown women find their purpose through the pain. She's a mother, writer, and activist for transformational growth from within.

Takeyla is speaking at the Parents and Leaders as Allies track on the Pride and Joy Summit about Corporate Allyship.

Join us to learn more!

LGBTQ+ inclusion starts from the top down. 

Whether your organization is just getting started or has been making strides for a while, we encourage you to stop and assess regularly, as a leader, as a coworker, and as a human being.

 If you and/or your organization is ready to begin the journey to formulating more inclusive policies and work environments, we invite you to take our short, five-question Ally Quiz. 

This quiz takes less than 10 minutes and is an excellent means of touching base with yourself and your organization’s standing.

None of us were prepared for 2020.  I don’t need to tell you that, I also don’t need to point out that a lot of us are feeling anxiety about what 2021 might bring.  There is a concrete way to feel like you’re in control though.  And for many of us, that’s the biggest thing we need right now.  

You CAN become an inclusive leader so that no matter what social upheaval comes our way in 2021, you’ll be the person to lead the team through the experience.  Any moments of sticky conversations and discomfort can be anticipated with excitement because they are opportunities for you to be the leader your organization needs.  

Remember when Alexander Hamilton wished for a war?  So he “could prove that he’s worth more than anyone bargained for”?  (you sang that in your head, admit it)  If you’re an organizational leader, excited to prove your worth and make an impact, social upheaval is...