Showing Up

 

 

I turned 40 this year, and something about this new decade has made me think more deeply about the causes I want to stand beside. Last weekend, I showed up at the Pride walk in Pune organised by Yutak.

There are causes far bigger than any one person. This one happened to sit at the intersection of my profession and something I care deeply about. Creating workplaces where people are seen for their competence and contribution, rather than judged by gender, caste, religion, or any other identity has always been a part of our family's hiring foundation.

I showed up with our company's banner, alone. But I wasn't really alone.

I was carrying an intention for the kind of workplace I want us to create. A workplace where diversity is not a statement on a wall, but something reflected in who gets opportunities, who gets heard, and who gets to grow.

While reading about the history of Pride Month, I came across this fascinating timeline of major moments in LGBTQA+ history. Looking through it reminded me that today's freedoms have a history behind them. They came through people who spoke up, organised, resisted, marched, created communities, and kept going.

I stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. And, at 40, this is one of the ways I want to show up by making the workplace I am part of a little more inclusive than the one I inherited. 

 

For anyone interested in exploring the history behind Pride, this timeline is a fascinating place to begin: Major Moments in LGBT History — Infographic Timeline

Pride is history. Pride is people. Pride is also the work we choose to do today.