A worldwide summer of Pride at WEX

From the global headquarters in Maine to every corner of the US, and all the way out to Australia and the UK, WEX employees have raised awareness in their communities to build an inclusive, accessible, and supportive environment that allows everyone to feel seen, heard, and welcomed.

Many places across the world recognize June as Pride month, dedicated to celebrating inclusivity and commemorating the June 28, 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York, NY. On that day in 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, prompting widespread demonstrations and acts of resistance. This uprising was pivotal for the Pride movement and empowered communities to take on social change and advocacy.

“By the time of Stonewall … we had fifty to sixty gay groups in the country. A year later there were at least fifteen hundred. By two years later, … it was twenty-five hundred. And that was the impact of Stonewall.” — Frank Kameny, LGBTQIA+ Civil Rights Pioneer

With many campaigns and events, Pride month promotes the history and vibrancy of the LGBTQIA+ community. Outright International reports that at least 105 countries held public-facing Pride events in 2022, and that at least 63 countries celebrated Pride events both within and outside their capital city. WEX proudly supports these events, with WEX employees participating in unity worldwide.

WEXers celebrating Pride in Portland, Maine

On June 17, WEXers in Portland marched in the local Pride parade just down the street from the global headquarters. WEX is a proud, long-standing sponsor of Equality Maine and Pride Portland! WEX is committed to directly supporting programs that benefit the LGBTQIA+ community in Maine, including education initiatives and a youth summer camp.

This year’s theme for the Portland Pride parade was “Together With Pride.” The annual celebration seeks to honor the accomplishments of the LGBTQIA+ movement, raise awareness about the community’s struggles, and foster an accessible and inclusive environment. The parade kicked off in Portland’s Monument Square, made its way through the city’s streets, and culminated with a festival in Deering Oaks Park. There are about 8,000 people that walk in the parade every year and thousands of spectators who cheer on from the sidewalks. The festival hosts a variety of food trucks, local vendors, and LGBTQIA+ supportive organizations.

WEXers celebrating Pride in Melbourne, Australia

WEX’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) region consists of offices in Australia, India, Japan, and Singapore. The WEX Pride employee resource group (ERG) lead for the APAC region is Graeme Barron, who serves as a product manager on WEX’s Shared Platforms team. Graeme has worked at WEX for over seven years and began his career with WEX’s Operations team.

On June 29, he collaborated with local colleagues and the WEX Pride ERG to organize a guest speaker session with Minus18, the largest charity for LGBTQIA+ young people in Australia. For the past 25 years, Minus18 has coordinated events for queer young people and continues to deliver widespread visibility for the community. The guest speaker was Max, Education Presenter at Minus18, who spoke on the topic of identity and inclusion. He discussed the dynamic between visibility and safety, emphasizing how the two can be linked through proactive allyship. Max also spoke on the importance of cultivating thoughtful conversations and shared three main strategies for fostering an inclusive environment:

• Listen and support.
• Build your knowledge.
• Take action as a team.

To achieve outward visibility, organizations can promote diversity within their management and onboarding processes, and to achieve inward visibility, organizations can promote opportunities for sharing identity within the workplace. Max and Minus18 hoped to provide a session that was impactful for all attendees regardless of their respective backgrounds. In the latter half of the event, Graeme engaged in a discussion about the worldwide importance of Pride and also provided resources regarding allyship, pronoun use, and WEX groups.

“It’s up to all of us to make sure that everyone feels comfortable bringing all aspects of themselves to anything they do.” — Max, Education Presenter at Minus18

In the future, Graeme plans to host an event during the Midsumma Festival, which is a diverse celebration hosted by Australia’s premier queer arts and cultural organization. The Midsumma Festival takes place over the course of 22 days throughout late January and early February, which is also when the Midsumma Pride March occurs in Melbourne.

WEXers celebrating Pride in Fargo, ND

On August 12, WEXers attended the Pride in the Park event hosted by Fargo-Moorhead Pride (FM Pride), which is a volunteer-run organization. The event included live music and an array of booths operated by vendors, artisans, and local community groups. The following day, WEXers participated in the FM Pride parade, during which they marched alongside other businesses, organizations, and individuals to show their support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride in the Park and the parade are part of a broader weekend of celebrations hosted annually by FM Pride, drawing attendees from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and even Canada.

Gavin Myers, a professional on WEX’s global talent acquisition team, coordinated WEX’s participation in this event. As Gavin serves in a people-oriented role, he was excited for the opportunity to help plan WEX’s involvement in the FM Pride events. He collaborated with his team members to host a WEX booth at Pride in the Park, distributed WEX Pride merchandise to the public, provided custom shirts to internal employees, and registered WEXers for FM Pride events. He also gives a special shout-out to Jessica Shawn, who has led WEX’s involvement in the FM Pride celebrations for the past two years. This coming fall, as in prior years, Gavin and his team will host career fairs to invite people from across cultures to explore new opportunities at WEX.

WEXers celebrating Pride in the UK

Manchester-based employees joined fellow WEXers in commemorating and celebrating LGBTQ+ culture, advocacy, and allies. WEX’s Manchester office hosted a festive day of events to kick off the start of Manchester Pride weekend celebrations. The fun took place all day long with games and prizes in the office throughout the day. There was an educational lunch and learn session, and a lively evening celebration including food, cocktails, and a DJ.

In WEX’s London office, WEXers came together to share their Pride stories over a light lunch, drinks, and an awesome Pride celebration cake! A great afternoon was had by all, with some WEXers getting into the spirit of the day with fun Pride props!

WEX Pride ERG

WEX’s ten ERGs have served as a way for employees to connect within the workplace and beyond. These groups create a sense of community through virtual meetings and events, leadership and diversity programming, and bringing together WEXers from all different parts of the world.

The WEX Pride ERG focuses on fostering a community of shared values and promoting a culture of inclusivity. The ERG accepts people from all walks of life, facilitates supportive networking, and highlights the high level of diversity within the company. Due to the efforts of the WEX Pride ERG, WEX now includes and encourages employees to add their preferred pronouns to their email signatures and their Workday profiles.

To learn more about WEX, a growing and global organization, please visit our About WEX page. WEX values diversity and equity and is an equal opportunity employer. Search jobs on our careers site.

WEX has ten employee resource groups (ERGs) which serve as active communities, acting as touchpoints for various groups across WEX that share interests, cultures, identities, and backgrounds. These groups include: WEX NexGen, Women of WEX, Parents@WEX, WEXPride, WEXVets, Black Growth Council, WEXcessibility, Women in Tech @ WEX, Latin X @ WEX, and Asian Alliance.

Sources:

US National Park Service
Outright International
Pride Portland!
Visit Portland
Midsumma Festival
Fargo-Moorhead Pride