Popular Chicago area LGBTQ workplace event series goes solo
CHICAGO – May 2, 2019 – During its annual event series kickoff, Citywide Pride announced its launch as an independent nonprofit organization. Since its founding in 2002, the Citywide Pride series of programs have provided guidance, learning and networking opportunities to Chicagoland area companies, organizations and individuals that wish to advance LGBTQ workplace equality and inclusion.
For the past 18 years, Citywide Pride has raised awareness as well as educated and engaged thousands of Chicagoland employees, human resources and diversity professionals and their allies at more than 200 company- and organization-sponsored events.
From 2005 to 2019, Citywide Pride acted as the programming platform for the Out & Equal Workplace Advocates’ regional affiliate in the Chicagoland area. The nationwide nonprofit’s regional affiliate program began in 2000 and established more than 20 chapters across the United States including Out & Equal Chicagoland, which absorbed Citywide Pride.
Citywide Pride’s growth into its own organization was led by Bernadette Smith and Joshua Wright, who relaunched the brand that will continue the long tradition of addressing the unique challenges for LGBTQ individuals in the workplace both today and into the future.
“We’re excited to have a fresh start as a renewed organization and bring along our successful event series,” said Bernadette Smith, co-chair of Citywide Pride. “We’ll continue our commitment to empowering individuals, companies and organizations to achieve LGBTQ diversity and inclusion goals.”
SCC, an independent creative and technology agency, worked with Citywide Pride to design its new brand identity by reflecting the organization’s status in the community as contemporary and professional.
“We were thrilled to work with the Citywide Pride organization as they continue to evolve their brand in the marketplace,” said Gail Carter, president, chief client leadership, SCC. “We value supporting LGBTQ initiatives internally at SCC as well as externally through collaborations like this. We’re proud of the work and know this new identity for Citywide Pride is the beginning of a promising future for the organization.”
With an exciting new chapter beginning in 2019 for Citywide Pride, this year’s events will feature key topics in the LGBTQ community including engagement with allies, discussions with transgender and non-binary young people, intersectionality and partnerships with employee resource groups across companies.
The Citywide Pride event series for 2019 will continue through the end of the year – and beyond.
About Citywide Pride
Citywide Pride is a 501(c)(4) organization that provides guidance, learning and networking opportunities for Chicagoland companies and their employees, advocates and allies to achieve their LGBTQ equality, diversity and inclusion goals. For more information about Citywide Pride and its event series, visit www.citywidepridechicago.org or email citywidepridechicago@gmail.com.
