Clearcover Celebrates Pride: Expanding Our Knowledge of the LGBTQ+ Community
Written by Team Clearcover | July 18th, 2022
Throughout Pride Month, Clearcover's Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council (EIDC) presented initiatives to expand Clearcover-ers' knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community in order to create an ever more welcoming and inclusive work environment. Beginning on June 1st, the EIDC presented a flag or term associated with the LGBTQ+ community each working day. In addition, the EIDC launched a new Employee Resource Group in our company-wide Slack channels for members of the community and their allies to meet other members, talk about topics pertaining to the community, and ultimately feel accepted, welcomed and heard. Finally, the EIDC presented a Pride Video Educational Series on June 9th and wrapped up the month with a Pride Panel featuring several Clearcover-ers' coming out stories.
Beginning on June 1st with the Pride Flag, the EIDC posted a different flag or set of terms associated with the LGBTQ+ community on a widely-used Slack channel . Throughout the month, posts included the Transgender Pride flag, definitions of gender identity terms, Intersex and Genderqueer Pride flags and more. Many of the flags were also shared across our social media pages. Through these informative posts, many Clearcover-ers gained knowledge about various aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. As an Engineering Manager commented on one post, "The narrative driven through the flag discussion is fantastic and I’m learning a ton." A Claims Representative added, "I’ve learned so much from [these] posts, and really took away that there’s more I can do and learn to become a better Ally."
As the daily posts continued, the EIDC hosted a series of educational videos from the It Gets Better Project on June 9th. The EIDC selected some of the project's videos from their "Writing Our Own Dictionary" series to share with all Clearcover employees via a live Zoom meeting. The videos, in which individuals share their personal stories on topics including their journeys to feeling at home in their gender identities to coming out to family and friends, were also available for everyone to access at their convenience.
At the conclusion of Pride Month, the EIDC followed the tradition of their well-received Black History and World Autism Month panels and invited all Clearcover-ers to attend a Zoom discussion during which four of our colleagues shared their own coming out stories. As they opened up about their journeys, all of the panelists were honest and vulnerable, knowing that they were in a safe space among their fellow Clearcover-ers. Panelists spoke about the ongoing process of coming out to family and friends as they figure out their own identities, and one panelist told us that she feels like she constantly comes out every time she meets someone new and mentions her wife. Two of the panelists credited the infamous "wine and not the label" scene from television series Schitt's Creek with helping name their pansexuality. As they related their personal experiences, all of the panelists had words of advice and encouragement to share. "If you have been hiding, it's okay to come out and embrace who you are," one panelist assured us. Everyone emphasized the importance of finding support on your own journey. "Find your community within your community," another panelist advised.
All of the panelists have found a welcoming community at Clearcover. One panelist shared, "I have worked in the insurance industry for ten years and [Clearcover] is the only company I've worked for that celebrates Pride month and has this [culture of] inclusivity." Another panelist agreed, stating that she never thought she would work in an environment where she felt accepted until she joined Clearcover.
The welcoming feeling of inclusivity that the panelists have found at Clearcover is an essential element of our people-first culture. The Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council constantly works to foster and maintain an environment in which everyone feels comfortable to show up as their true selves and contribute to their maximum potential. Through initiatives like the Pride Month daily postings, videos, and panel discussions, the EIDC seeks to increase Clearcover-ers knowledge of individuals and communities outside of their own. If you're looking to work for a company that values the vast array of backgrounds and points of view of its employees and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment in which everyone feels included and heard, we invite you to apply for an open position at Clearcover today.
