WorkProud adds business focus to Winter Pride agenda

At next month’s Winter Pride, Copenhagen Pride will launch an annual conference focusing on LGBTI+ people in the workplace.

‘WorkProud’ is to be hosted by Dansk Industri at Industriens Hus on Friday 23 February and includes speakers from across Copenhagen Pride’s portfolio of commercial partners, alongside national and international leaders in the field.

David Pollard (he/him) of Workplace Pride will return to Copenhagen for the first time since speaking at the WorldPride Human Rights Forum in 2021, and providing the second keynote will be Bobbi Pickard (she/her), CEO of Trans In The City, a London-based NGO that aims to smash the glass ceiling for trans executives.

Boston Consulting Group will outline their research that found that a majority of LGBTI+ people in Denmark experience discrimination in the workplace, and law firm Lundgrens will outline new regulations on parental leave, giving the conference a very practical element.

Speakers from Scandic Hotels and Maersk will focus on their work to support LGBTI+ employees, and the leaders of LGBTI+ employee resource groups from Danske Bank, Dansk Industri, Tryg and Maersk will talk about their experiences and the value these groups bring to the workplace.

“This is Copenhagen Pride’s tenth Winter Pride and it’s vital that we continue to innovate and develop our events for as broad an audience as possible,” said Lars Henriksen (he/him), Political Chairperson of Copenhagen Pride, who will open the Conference. “Like most other people, LGBTI+ people spend a great deal of time at work but unlike most other people, they can face discrimination based on their sexuality or gender identity. Through the WorkProud conference, Copenhagen Pride is opening up a space in which we and our partners can have important conversations on these topics.”

Copenhagen Pride aims for WorkProud to be an annual event during Winter Pride, allowing progress to be tracked over time. Research published last week by Open For Business found that support for LGBTI+ causes can lead to increased profitability, and the conference is also an opportunity for partners to be engaged in Pride outside of August, thereby challenging accusations that corporations are only interested in Pride during ‘Pride month’. 

“Our Partners are vital to the success of Copenhagen Pride, and our Partnerships focus on activities and engagement around the year,” said Steve Taylor (he/him), Head of Secretariat of Copenhagen Pride. We love it when our Partners take to the streets in August to show their support but it’s equally very important that we can engage in the staff room, the canteen and the board room, and WorkProud is one part of that.”

Tickets to WorkProud are free for Copenhagen Pride’s partners and available to purchase for non-partners. Find out more on Billetto.