Pinterest Honors Pride Month 2020
By Jud Hoffman, Head of Community Operations at Pinterest and Executive Sponsor of Pinwheels, Pinterest’s ERG for LGBTQ+ employees and allies
June is Pride Month. Historically, Pride parades have been organized in June to honor the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City on June 28, 1969. That uprising, against an anti-LGBTQ+ culture and legal system enforced by routine police raids on gay bars and other safe spaces at the time, spread and sparked the beginnings of reform and change, march by march, legal battle by legal battle, over many decades — and the fight is far from over. Pride is not only a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ members of our community, but to reflect on its origin and consider the work remaining.
The LGBTQ+ civil rights movement cannot and should not be equated to the Black civil rights movement and what’s happening today. Still, there are some shared experiences by virtue of the LGBTQ+ community’s intersectionality: a rainbow includes all races, ethnicities, genders and backgrounds, including members of our Black community who have had to endure so much pain, often doubly so by being members of multiple oppressed minority groups. In fact, that intersectional experience is at the heart of the modern gay rights movement: Marsha P. Johnson, a trans Black woman, was one of the leaders of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969, Bayard Rustin was one of the leaders of the March on Washington in 1963, and James Baldwin’s brilliant essays in the 1950’s and 1960’s shined a spotlight on the brutal truth about race and sexuality.
At Pinterest, our theme in celebration of Pride this year is “____ Is Where the Heart Is.” Pinterest’s Pride logo, a deconstructed rainbow, originated in the expectation that this year’s Pride would not feel like those in recent years. It would likely feel incomplete, as though something was missing. The gap in the title recognizes that not everyone is or feels at home: for some this may be related to work or recent travel; for others it may be heightened uncertainties; and still others may be missing the people or community who truly make a place a home. This moment serves as a humbling reminder of the great historical and ongoing difficulty that so many of our community members and colleagues face in trying to create a safe and stable home for themselves.
Pinwheels, Pinterest’s Employee Resource Group (called “Community” internally) for LGBTQ+ employees and allies, stands with our brothers and sisters of color. We’ll be holding several events for Pinterest employees this month, all of which stand in solidarity and recognize Pride for everyone. Some internal activations include:
- A special performance and Q&A with Vincint. Vincint is a Black, openly gay, singer-songwriter who was finalist on the premiere season of The Four. He released his debut EP The Feeling on February 14, 2020, and his song “Be Me” is featured in the trailer for Season 5 of “Queer Eye.”
- Pinwheels will be matching all employee donations (up to a total of $2,500) made to the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center is one of very few LGBTQ community centers in the nation founded solely by African Americans, and the first in the state of California. They’re dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of LGBTQ individuals in Oakland by providing educational, social, and health-related activities, programs and services.
As well as other virtual events, some of which are even led by our own employees:
- A cooking class led by Chef Art Smith.
- Q&A discussion with Chef Dominique Crenn about her new memoir, “Rebel Chef.”
- Not-So-Basic Drag Makeup Basics with Drag Queen Michelle Ada (Also on Instagram!)
- Employee-and-child-led story-telling; Julián is a Mermaid will be read to facilitate an open conversation about the LGBTQ community in a child-friendly way.
- Employee-led, Pride themed WERQ Fitness class.
- Gender Transition Guide presentation facilitated by our Inclusion & Diversity team.
In support of what this month represents, we’ll have featured content on the Today tab highlighting queer activitists, artisits, authors and thinkers of color, as well as some in-product easter eggs so that when Pinners search for Pride content, they’ll also encounter Pinterest’s “Happy Pride” Pins. Pinners who engage with the Pins will be shown boards curated by our own LGBTQ+ employees on topics ranging from Pride food ideas to great queer novels and podcasts.
Though Pride Month looks different this year, we’re excited to honor all LGBTQ+ employees in the best way we know how — by building community. Follow along on our LinkedIn and @lifeatpinterest Instagram throughout June for an inside look.
Jud Hoffman is Head of Community Operations at Pinterest and Executive Sponsor of Pinwheels, Pinterest’s ERG for LGBTQ+ employees and allies.
“Where the heart is” graphic created by Ricardo Baltazar, Pinterest Brand Designer.
