»ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ

June is?Pride?month,?a time for greater visibility and celebration of the LGBTQ+?community.?The first?Pride?march?was held on June 28, 1970?in New York City. Since then, annual?Pride?parades?around the world?have become events?where?the LGBTQ+ community?and allies?celebrate?acceptance and?advocate for advancements in civil rights protections.?Like so many events during the pandemic,?Pride?this year?has?required?a?new?format and experience.??

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Pivoting Pride?

Pride@SAP?PNW?went to work?when?it was realized that the Seattle Pride Parade would be?going virtual, and that the pandemic-related closure of our Bellevue, Washington office would prevent the group from hosting its?annual in-office Pride celebration.?How could they best?support the local LGBTQ+ community with?funds?originally?planned?for the?events??After much thought and partnership?with the SAP?»ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ?SMB Marketing and People Connection teams, along with the Greater Seattle Business Association (the largest LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce in North America), they?announced?a two-pronged approach?that involves?supporting?queer- and?minority-owned?small businesses and?donating?to?homeless youth.??

The group?is?directly?funding meal?and clothing?donations purchased?from?these?three?queer-owned small businesses:?

• : Taco Wednesday meals for 50?homeless youth?for 10 weeks?(500 total meals)?

• : Tuesday?dinners?for 40?homeless youth?for 4 weeks?(160 total meals)?

• Brand Pride: 460 clothing items for young people?

Who?will be receiving the meals and clothing??Pride@SAP?PNW?teamed up with?, a nonprofit in Seattle that works to end youth homelessness. At YouthCare, 80% of the youth served are BIPOC?(black, indigenous, and people of color)?and?one-third?are queer youth.?Pride@SAP?PNW has a longstanding partnership with YouthCare, having volunteered many times with the organization, so it was a natural fit.?

To augment the SAP?»ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ?commitment,?Pride@SAP?PNW is hosting?a virtual in-kind donation drive.?SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ?employees can purchase?additional meals and clothing?from?YouthCare¡¯s??to?be delivered to YouthCare.?

Additionally,?Erica Overfield (HR business partner, and?yoga and?mindfulness instructor) will lead a beginner-friendly yoga flow and seated meditation class open to all SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ employees in honor of Pride?month and the fight for?equality.?For every person that attends, Erica?is?making?a personal $1 donation to?, a black, trans, and queer-led organization in Minnesota that focuses on healing,?creating systemic change,?and justice for black lives.?This event is a testament to the?intersectionality?of?Pride and?the allies who?bring this?intersection?to the forefront.?

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Allies and partnerships?

There is a strong connection between?this work?to support?minority-owned?small businesses and?other?initiatives?at?SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ to support?SMBs.??

¡°This is a natural and?inspiring?extension of?our?organization¡¯s broader work to support small?businesses?struggling to keep the lights on during the pandemic,¡± said SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ Chief Marketing Officer Chris Juneau.?¡°What I love about?the Pride Committee¡¯s?effort is that it brings together?two movements so close to our hearts: supporting the LGBTQ+ community and the small businesses that?power our economy.¡±??

Juneau, who serves as the executive sponsor of?Pride@SAP¡¯s?PNW chapter?and recently?wrote?about his experiences?as an ally,?added the SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ organization is?involved?in a range of efforts to support small businesses.?SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ is?holding free virtual consulting sessions?to help?SMBs?adapt, and?has joined?with partners such as American Express¡¯s ¡®¡¯ campaign and?the??to?provide needed resources and guidance?tuned to today¡¯s challenges.?

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A bigger?mission?

Pride@SAP?maintains a?responsibility to give back during the current pandemic and racial?injustice?crises.?Across SAP globally, Pride chapters are hosting more than 50 events and engagements during June.?It¡¯s?more?than just a?socializing and?networking?group?¨C?it¡¯s?a space?for LGBTQ+ SAP »ÆÉ«¶ÌÊÓƵ employees and supporters to create real change. They?advocate for?community equity?where?they?work and live,?while raising awareness of the?business value of full inclusion?and authenticity.?A big part of this mission is giving back to their local communities, and with this year¡¯s Pride?pivot, they¡¯re living their values out loud.?