OutChime’s Year in Review 2021
When we sat down with the co-leads of OutChime, our Chimer Resource Group (CRG) for the LGBTQ+ community, to reflect on the past year, the words they used to describe the last 12 months included resiliency, candid openness, vulnerability, exhaustion, and development.
Resiliency: “It’s been a tough couple of years and we’ve maintained a sense of community and togetherness to help us get through it,” says Amy Silverman (she/her/hers).
Candid openness and vulnerability: “We held panel discussions and Slack chats where Chimers openly shared their experiences as LGBTQ+ folks,” says ‘Tine Zekis (she/her/hers). “Our honest conversations and the way we supported each other through our vulnerability really brought us closer together,” adds Jonnie Ramirez (he/him/his).
Exhaustion: “The last two years have been relentless, so I’m a little tired,” says Melanie Bilbrey (she/her/hers). “I think we all are, which brings us together and helps us lean on each other throughout these trying times.”
Development: “We achieved so much progress and I’m extremely proud of the work we did on Preferred Names, which we launched in-app and for mobile check deposits,” says Gwen Gilkey (she/her/hers). “We partnered with so many teams and moved meaningful changes forward for our members.”
Here’s a look at the past year through OutChime’s lens — things that happened in the world, at Chime, and the work they moved forward to make a difference for Chimers and Chime members.
Moments that shaped 2021
2021 was a challenging year for the LGBTQ+ community in several ways. “One trans person was murdered every week,” says Melanie. “The reality we’re facing in our community informs our programming in many ways,” she adds. The way Amy sees it, there’s been a lot of both positive and negative progress within the trans community — both of which have provided an opportunity to educate Chimers. “We invited someone to talk about the history of trans rights and laws that impact the trans community, which was eye opening for many and a good reminder of the progress we’ve made and the work that’s left to do,” she says.
For Gwen, it was the continuation of the pandemic that shaped much of her work with OutChime in 2021. “The pandemic has forced businesses to evaluate what’s necessary, like preferred names on cards and accounts,” she says. “When Visa, Mastercard, and Citi all allowed credit cardholders to use their preferred name on their credit card, we knew we wanted to follow suit — and we started by making it possible for Chime members to update their preferred name in the app.”
It was also in 2021 that Zoom launched pronouns in-product. “I loved seeing this development in Zoom since so many of us spend much of our time on Zoom calls,” says Moti. Here are tips from Zoom on how to update your pronouns:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- In the navigation panel, click Profile.
- On the right side of your name, click Edit.
- In the Pronouns field, enter your pronouns.
- In the How would you like to share your pronouns? drop-down field, choose from the following options:
- Always share in meetings and webinars: Your pronouns will appear next to your display name automatically in any meetings that you host or join, and any webinars that you’re the host or panelist for.
- Ask me every time after joining meetings and webinars: You will be asked if you want your pronouns to appear next to your display name in every meeting that you host or join, and any webinars that you’re the host or panelist for.
- Do not share in meetings and webinars: Your pronouns will not appear next to your display name in any meetings or webinars. You will have to manually choose to share your pronouns.
Note: Even if you choose not to share your pronouns in meetings or webinars, your pronouns will still appear in your profile card and be visible to your Zoom contacts if you have entered them in the Pronouns field.
6. Click Save.
OutChime highlights: Programming, events, and partnerships
Over the past year, OutChime has produced a wide range of programming for the CRG’s members and the broader community of Chimers. A highlight for Amy was a panel of LGBTQ+ Chimers, which was moderated by ‘Tine. “Folks got to tell their stories and the panel shed light on things that other Chimers may not have been aware of,” she says. “It was great to see an event cultivate connectivity at a time when we’re still virtual in our work and community and to feel proud of working somewhere where it’s open for people to share their identities and experiences.”
For Moti, that panel opened her eyes to the way members of OutChime’s community have taken small steps to make themselves a little more visible as we work remotely. “Someone shared that while they were interviewing at Chime, an interviewer alluded to the fact that they’re queer and it was the first time the speaker had experienced that,” she says. “I feel really proud that Chimers are becoming more conscious of the need to open that conversation and, as a result, make queer folks — and all folks — feel welcome.”
Jonnie really enjoyed the tour of the SF Aids Foundation facilities. “It was an incredibly moving experience,” he says. “Each person spoke about their experience and background — not everyone who works there comes from the LGBTQ+ community, which showed us all that the foundation supports and is supported by people from many communities.” Following the event, Jonnie and other OutChime members received feedback that Chimers found the exposure to the foundation deeply meaningful.
For ‘Tine, the highlight of the year was watching CRGs supporting each other through combined events, shared discussions, and encouraging each other to attend other CRGs’ events.
Overcoming challenges together
The year was not without its challenges for OutChime, though. “At first when we were planning Pride, we thought we’d be able to celebrate in-person,” remembers Amy. “We were planning events and allocating resources when it got canceled. The wind was taken out of our sails for Pride.” That moment was representative of a broader challenge OutChime faced, too: because of the ongoing pandemic, they had to cultivate community through mostly virtual events. The team continued to innovate, offering a mix of educational events, fun classes, and social get-togethers that would keep Chimers excited.
For Melanie, the biggest challenge was pushing CRG-led product development. “We overcame this challenge by focusing on the why of the work — even though it’s not on the roadmap, we can still make a case for it being important for our community,” she explains. That’s the approach that led to preferred names being launched in the Chime app; the team is overcoming challenges and making meaningful progress.
Moving into a new year: A look to 2022
Heading into 2022, the OutChime co-leads are feeling energized and excited about the possibility of in-person events. “I think 2022 is going to be a big year, and that we’ll make some waves with our preferred names work,” says Gwen.
Moti is most looking forward to seeing how CRGs interact with Chime’s new San Francisco office space: “There are going to be so many opportunities to gather, to eat together, and to connect face to face,” she says.
And for Amy and ‘Tine, they’re interested to see how OutChime and other CRGs adapt to our new hybrid work model. “We still have remote employees and others who will blend online and in-person,” Amy explains. “I know our CRGs will find many great ways to grow and stay connected through different channels and across our offices and offer programming that caters to all Chimers looking for a sense of belonging,” ‘Tine adds.
We can’t wait to see what they achieve in 2022!
