June is definitely a month for pride. Yes, because of the Pride celebrations held worldwide. But even more, due to the significant LGBTQ+ milestones achieved during this month over the years. The Stonewall Uprising for LGBTQ+ rights in Manhattan happened in June 1969. In 2013, strides were made for same-sex marriage. In 2015, same-sex marriage was fully legalized in the U.S.
This June, in a historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sexual identity.
We’re thrilled because, at Western Digital, we think it’s important to show up for the community. We thrive because we are different. We believe no one should be discriminated against for being who they are. It’s our diversity that gives us our daring, our strength, our advantage—the edge to our innovation. That’s why we are honored to voice our support for the #EqualityAct.
Helping Pride Shine Everywhere
The #EqualityAct is proposed federal legislation that would amend existing civil rights laws to provide full protections for LGBTQ+ employees throughout the US. Western Digital supports this legislation because we feel strongly that everyone should be treated equally. Our current policies are already consistent with the proposed #EqualityAct, as we do not condone bias, discrimination, or inequality at our workplace, or anywhere else.
Although this month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision amends the Civil Rights Act to protect the LGBTQ+ community from employer discrimination, Congress still needs to pass the #EqualityAct to extend such protections beyond company walls.
Tech Fundraiser for LGBTQ+ Youth
This June, to celebrate Pride, we are excited to launch our first-ever limited-edition rainbow USB Cruzer Snap drive. For every one of these drives sold through the end of August, Western Digital will donate $6 (a minimum of $10,000 total) to The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people.
Brought to life by employees from Western Digital’s LGBTQ+ community (We.Equal) we hope this colorful drive allows users to #ShareYourPride year-round by saving and sharing equally vibrant, authentic, and proud moments. As one of the largest stewards of data in the world, we know memories are crucial and document history in the making.
#ShareYourPride and Win a Prize!
We at Western Digital envision a better world that is fueled by diversity, inclusion, and equity. We want to celebrate this with you. On Saturday, June 27, we’ll be giving the first 50 people who tweet #ShareYourPride, and include an image about how they celebrate pride, at @WesternDigital on Twitter. If you are among those selected we will contact you via Twitter to provide you with a code to redeem your drive. They’re designed with pride, for Pride!
Let’s come together to celebrate over fifty years of Pride. We are excited about the momentum gained for the #EqualityAct and look forward to many more milestones in the future.
Learn more about our tech fundraiser to support LGBTQ+ youth
Follow us to stay updated on our #ShareYourPride campaign
