By: Drea Saenz (Pronouns: She/Her/They) , OUT@Comcast Board Member and Effectv Associate Campaign Manager
This year, Pride looks a little different at Comcast. We’re putting the safety of our employees first and we are going Virtual again—this time with all the learnings from 2020 in our back pocket.
I’m serving my fourth year on the board of Employee Resource Group OUT@Comcast, a volunteer organization within Comcast, open to all employees. We currently have about 150 members across Oregon/SW Washington, and members “don’t have to be to belong.” Allies, folks with intersectional identities, and all LGBTQIA+ folks are welcome to join us for events and discussions throughout the year.
Going virtual has helped many of us stay connected during these unprecedented times. We’ve been celebrating inclusion all year long and Pride month is no exception. With an interesting year-and- a-half behind us due to the pandemic, we really wanted to “show up” for Pride this year. We partnered with Pride NW to make this celebration happen and curate a virtual Pride Parade that will feature 70 other local companies.
To me, Pride is representation and intersectionality – We are here. People are multifaceted. We come from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and sexual orientations. We are proud of who we are. We celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community not only in the month of June – but 365 days a year. As someone who was afraid of “coming out” for years, I have a group of people who support me and make me comfortable to be my true and authentic self. I hope the same can be said for others in our membership.
Please look out for the Virtual Pride Parade airing locally on KOIN-TV, June 20th.
