Pride Month started with a protest. In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village, triggering six days of demonstrations that became a turning point for LGBTQI+ rights worldwide. One year later, thousands marched through Manhattan to mark the anniversary for the first of what would grow into a global movement. What started in a single neighborhood now reaches every continent, with millions of people in more than 100 countries attending Pride events each year.
Today, Pride Month is observed in June across much of the world, and at other times of the year in the Southern Hemisphere and beyond. It carries both protest and memory: a recognition of how far the LGBTQI+ community has come and how much further there is still to go. In 2025, visibility events were held in 101 UN member states. The work of building a genuinely LGBTQI+ inclusive workplace is ongoing, and it is uneven across industries, companies, and countries.
At Sourcefit, we think about that work in practical terms. Inclusion lives in day-to-day decisions about how people are treated, what they are given access to, and whether they feel safe enough to show up as themselves. For Pride Month 2026, we asked two members of our team to share what the LGBTQI+ employee experience at Sourcefit looks like from where they sit.
Pride by the numbers: The benefits of real workplace inclusion
The HRC’s 2026 Corporate Equality Index shows that companies scoring highest on LGBTQI+ workplace inclusion measures report an 8x higher net income compared to their lower-scoring peers, a correlation that holds across 15 years of data.
The human picture behind that is harder. The Williams Institute at UCLA found that nearly half of LGBTQI+ employees have experienced discrimination or harassment at work at some point in their lives, that one in three has left a job because of how they were treated, and that most engage in covering behaviors — changing how they dress, speak, or move through shared spaces — to avoid further exposure. For transgender employees, those rates are significantly higher.
According to research from McKinsey, 45% of LGBTQI+ employees say they have to be careful about discussing their personal lives at work. Nearly one in three reports experiencing microaggressions, and LGBTQI+ employees were twice as likely as their straight peers to feel uncomfortable sharing mental health concerns with coworkers. That last point matters more than it might seem. When employees cannot be honest about how they are doing, managers lose visibility, teams lose cohesion, and problems surface later than they should.
The same HRC research found that more than 86% of workers who described their Pride Month workplace experience as hostile also reported being at risk of leaving their job, and nearly half of LGBTQI+ workers in that group reported declining productivity. Building an LGBTQI+ inclusive workplace is ongoing work. A policy does not finish it, how people experience their day-to-day does.
The gap between a workplace that says it supports inclusion and one where people feel it has real consequences for retention, output, and the people living it. We looked at what drives that gap in depth last year, and the picture has not changed.
What #ProudAtSourcefit means
This year, Sourcefit’s Pride Month theme is #ProudAtSourcefit. The thinking behind it is straightforward and worth saying directly: Pride, to us, means more than colors and celebration. It means building a workplace where people feel seen, respected, supported, and empowered to show up as themselves every day. #ProudAtSourcefit reflects a commitment to inclusion, authenticity, and community because great teams are built when people feel they truly belong.
We asked our teammates, who identify as LGBTQI+, to talk about identity, their experience at work, and what #ProudAtSourcefit means to them personally.
Here’s what they had to share:
How would you describe the culture at Sourcefit?
Sourcefit is a place where people are encouraged to be themselves and where different perspectives are genuinely valued, not just during Pride Month but in everyday interactions. It is a workplace where you can grow professionally while knowing that who you are as a person matters just as much as the work you do.
What does being LGBTQI+ mean to you, and how has that shaped who you are?
Being LGBTQI+ means embracing my identity and living authentically. As a transgender woman who came out at a young age, I learned early on the importance of self-acceptance and having the courage to be true to myself. That experience has shaped me into someone who values empathy, kindness, and understanding. It has taught me to appreciate my own journey while recognizing that everyone has different experiences and timelines. It also inspired me to bring positivity to others, whether through listening, offering support, or simply bringing a smile to someone’s day.
What’s a personal triumph you’re proud of?
One of my proudest personal triumphs is learning to become comfortable in my own skin while continuing to grow both personally and professionally. Although I came out at a young age, I still experienced insecurities and moments of self-doubt that required time and perseverance to overcome.
Over the years, I learned to focus on my strengths and believe in my own abilities. That confidence has allowed me to build meaningful relationships, pursue opportunities, and show up every day with greater self-assurance. It reminds me that personal growth is a continuous journey, and every challenge along the way contributes to who we become.
What does the LGBTQI+ experience teach you that makes you better at your work?
My LGBTQI+ experience has taught me empathy, adaptability, and the ability to understand different perspectives. These qualities have greatly helped me in Account Management, where building trust, listening actively, and understanding people’s needs are essential. It has also taught me the importance of creating spaces where people feel comfortable being themselves.
Whether in the workplace, with clients, or in personal relationships, I try to approach others with compassion and understanding. I also recognize that everyone has their own journey, and some people may choose not to share certain parts of themselves. Respecting those choices is equally important.
What does #ProudAtSourcefit mean to you personally?
#ProudAtSourcefit means being able to bring my whole self to work and feel valued not only for my contributions but also for who I am as a person. It represents a workplace where diversity is celebrated and where people can succeed without feeling the need to hide any part of themselves.
I am proud to be part of Sourcefit because Pride is embraced through genuine support, respect, and inclusion. Seeing colleagues and leaders stand alongside the LGBTQI+ community creates a sense of belonging and reminds us that everyone deserves to feel seen and supported.
What’s one thing you’d want people to know about working at a company that genuinely supports inclusion?
A company that genuinely supports inclusion allows people to perform at their best because they feel safe, respected, and valued. When people know they belong, they become more confident, engaged, and willing to contribute their ideas and talents. True inclusion is not only about policies or celebrations. It is about creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. It means supporting people regardless of where they are in their personal journey and understanding that every individual deserves the opportunity to thrive in their own way.
How would you describe the culture at Sourcefit?
Sourcefit has a collaborative and inclusive culture that values teamwork, accountability, and professional growth. Through our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we strive to ensure every employee feels respected, supported, and given equal opportunities to succeed.
What does being LGBTQI+ mean to you, and how has that shaped who you are?
To me, being LGBTQI+ means embracing who I am with pride and authenticity while celebrating the diversity that makes every person unique. It has shaped me into someone who values kindness, resilience, and joy, and it has inspired me to create positive connections with others by bringing energy, humor, and an open heart wherever I go.
What’s a personal triumph you’re proud of?
I’m proud that I’ve stayed true to my cheerful and optimistic personality, even through challenging situations. Choosing to spread positivity while embracing who I am hasn’t always been easy, but it has helped me build meaningful connections and approach life with confidence and resilience.
What does the LGBTQI+ experience teach you that makes you better at your work?
Being part of the LGBTQI+ community has strengthened my resilience and taught me to show up for others with positivity, compassion, and an open mind. I believe those qualities help me build stronger relationships and collaborate more effectively.
What does #ProudAtSourcefit mean to you personally?
#ProudAtSourcefit means knowing that I’m accepted and valued for who I am. I can confidently share my positivity, build meaningful relationships, and contribute to a culture where others feel safe to do the same.
What’s one thing you’d want people to know about working at a company that genuinely supports inclusion?
I’d want people to know that when a company values inclusion, it creates an environment where you can be yourself without fear of judgment. That sense of belonging builds confidence, encourages collaboration, and allows people to focus on doing their best work while bringing their unique perspectives to the team.
The thread running through lived experience
The qualities they each name — empathy, adaptability, the willingness to listen and to extend understanding to people whose experience differs from your own — are not incidental to their professional effectiveness. They are the reason they are good at their jobs. Those qualities developed through the experience of navigating a world that did not always make room for them.They carry those forward into every client relationship, every team conversation, and every moment that calls for someone who genuinely understands that other people’s realities are different from their own.
That is what an LGBTQI+ inclusive workplace builds when it gets things right. When people do not have to spend energy managing how they are perceived, that energy goes into the work. When teams are built around psychological safety rather than conformity, the range of perspectives in the room gets wider and the quality of decisions improves. The LGBTQI+ employee experience at a company that genuinely supports inclusion produces better outcomes, and the data backs that up.
Organizations that build genuine inclusion into how they operate outperform those that treat it as a communications effort. Fitz and Ron are proof of what that investment looks like in practice: professionals whose lived experience made them sharper, more empathetic, and more effective at their work.
Sourcefit is Great Place to Work® Certified™ in the Philippines for 2025-2026. This recognition reflects ongoing work, not a single moment. They reflect the hiring decisions, the management conversations, and the culture that makes room for people.
Pride Month is a good time to say that clearly. We are grateful they were willing to put it into words.
Looking to build your career with a team that values who you are? Explore open roles with a company that embraces diversity and inclusion. For companies building offshore teams with inclusion at the core, connect with us today.
