Prosperity in diversity

Companies and the business community are present every year for Copenhagen Pride: large banners, t-shirts printed with logos – their visual identities gets turned up to maximum capacity and jumps out at you at the yearly celebration of the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender.

The visibility of brands is palpable – but there is more to their work than to present it to the world. TDC, Coca Cola and 7/11 have all taken a stand on the question of contributing to the LGBTI+ community. As sponsors of Copenhagen Pride, their support is maintained outside of the summer months through several milestones based on the question of how to implement solidarity as a guiding star throughout the year.

The Copenhagen Pride sponsors TDC, Coca Cola and 7/11 all have set goals for how to work with solidarity in mind – both when meeting with the customers, but also in the everyday dealings at the office.

Inclusion and responsibility

A common cause emphasized by all three businesses is the possibility of including a more diverse staff of employees. All the companies addressed how, as recognizable businesses in the city scape and well-funded actors, they can help steer the conversation:

7/11:

“Diversity and inclusion are natural key terms within 7-Eleven, and we want to make sure everyone feels welcome with us – regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or ethnicity, and this is something that is reflected amongst employees working both in administration and in stores.”

TDC:

“Within TDC, we believe that having a team where you respect one another leads to more productive discussions and better solutions, when you know how to use each other’s differences constructively. Our support of Copenhagen Pride is an important signal, but it is also a responsibility you take on as a business.”

Coca Cola:

“We actually found that the best way for us to make a difference as a company is with regards to other businesses – to talk about what we do as a global organization and to share our experiences.”

Commitment, external dialogue and valuing the prosperity of diversity are all guiding stars in the work for long term change, which applies to dialogue with customers as well as employees.

Sponsor visibility, support, and solidarity

Equally important is being able to make sure to tick the box of visibility and the building of a foundation in answer to the question of how you support diversity among employees, representations of customers, as well as the well-being of society all together:

TDC:

“We are using a number of tools to secure the well-being of all employees while also empowering diversity. It is a way to create a strong business, to support inclusive behavior by thinking diversity into all possible aspects of the operation.”

Coca Cola:

“Solidarity is also when we contribute actively to the society we are operating in, and that we stand by our values as a business, so we can push for development how and where we can. The aim is for inclusion and diversity to not just be celebrated during a single week of August, but to be something we strive for all year around.”

7/11:

“With 172 stores in Denmark, we have a lot of visibility in the city scape, which we can use to contribute during Copenhagen Pride Week by creating awareness and get the message out across the country.

The basis for supporting Pride is the knowledge that, in spite of progress being made, there continues to be people who do not experience solidarity in their everyday lives, whether they’re walking down the street or anywhere else. Making your opinion known is also to actively decide whether you see diversity as a strength, and to acknowledge that many people still experience issues when it comes to living as the person they truly are”

To have a long-term vision about diversity, societal responsibility, commitment, and dialogue, as well as the right to be who you are, is once again on the updated agenda of our sponsors. Focus on and support of the LGBTI+ community during the Pride-celebration is still valued highly – but there is also an effort being made outside of the party and parade, which includes daily acknowledgement of the existence of the LGBTI+ community in the work place.