Words of Pride – and a commitment for change

By: Brianne Reedy

Verizon partners with leading LGBTQ+ organizations to move the world forward for all.

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Throughout June, we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities through our theme “Words of Pride,” connecting people and amplifying the stories of LGBTQ+ individuals around the world. This year, we’re elevating our support through impactful partnerships with leading LGBTQ+ supporting organizations:

  • We’ve donated $1M to Encircle, a nonprofit that builds safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, young adults and families to provide support and belonging, creates new resource homes across the country and helps promote digital inclusion across the LGBTQ+ community.
  • We’ve committed $1 million through the Verizon Foundation to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to develop online training to help individuals and organizations improve their understanding of the LGBTQ community.
  • We increased our financial support for PFLAG National, reaching a total of $1 million to support LGBTQ+ education and advocacy.

One of the keys to equity and justice is continuous learning. It’s providing a safe place to ask questions and speak up when you don’t understand something, because education should never end.

This month, we’ll highlight the words and voices of Pride across our social channels. Through infographics, video series and articles, we’ll amplify conversations around equity, intersectionality and allyship.

We’re also spotlighting voices of the community through our partnerships with Encircle, PFLAG, and more. We’ll hand them the megaphone, amplify their stories and share powerful voices for change.

Within Verizon, our employee resource group PRISM is leading V Team volunteer efforts and outreach like Pride Parade Walks (virtual during the pandemic), letter writing campaigns to support LGBTQ youth, mentoring, and youth crisis counseling.

PRISM helps maintain an inclusive work culture where employees feel safe being their authentic selves and can pursue both personal and professional development, as well help allies learn how to strengthen their support for the community.

Virtual Event Words of Pride: Amplifying Our Voices In celebration of Pride month 2021, Verizon is spotlighting community partners empowering and supporting the LGBTQ youth. Wednesday, June 16, 2021 4 PM EST. Register here.

Read the Press Release.

About the author(s):

Brianne Reedy is a member of the Creative Marketing team supporting the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. She is responsible for working with integrated teams to develop the strategy and messaging for how Verizon responds to and participates in cultural moments across channels.

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