To us, queer joy means giving space to LGBTQ+ people and allies to be themselves, to love who they love, and to express themselves authentically. It’s about equal treatment and access to everything heterosexual and cisgender people have.
In 2023, PrideConnect is elevating queer joy with a fun creative design competition called FASHUN. We invited the PrideConnect community to submit apparel designs for our company store. The winning designs will be selected for Equinix branded apparel and made available to all employees for purchase.
How Equinix advocates for the LGBTQ+ community
Thanks to the work of the PrideConnect community, Equinix has received external recognition for our work on LGBTQ+ rights: In 2022, Equinix scored 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index and was designated one of the HRC Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.[6] We were selected as a Stonewall Top 100 Global Employer and a Bronze winner of the 2022 Global Workplace Equality Index.[7] And we’ve received regional accolades too: Equinix Japan was awarded the gold from Pride Index 2022.
We recognize that support for marginalized groups like the LGBTQ+ community requires more than just words and rainbow brand logos. It’s about actions that make a tangible difference in the lives of queer people and the health of our workforce.
Here are some of the concrete actions we’ve taken at Equinix to support and uplift our LGBTQ+ community:
1. Creating a workplace where LGBTQ+ employees are celebrated year-round and globally.
We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture at Equinix, and our EECNs are essential to that. Equinix strives to be a place where every employee can say, “I’m safe, I belong, and I matter.”
2. Ensuring representation for the LGBTQ+ community in positions of leadership.
Representation matters, and the visibility of queer leadership is an important part of creating an inclusive culture. At Equinix, we’ve more than doubled the number of leaders who self-identify as LGBTQ+ in our senior leadership team in the last 5 years.
3. Providing workforce protections for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
Our company policy includes vital workforce protections for sexuality and gender across all operations.
4. Providing inclusive benefits to same-sex partners and families.
In most countries, same and different-sex spouses, domestic partners and families receive equivalent medical and soft benefits, and transgender individuals receive equal health coverage without exclusion for medically necessary care. We’re actively working with local HR to review these benefits in all countries where we have employees.
5. Educating our broader Equinix workforce through our SOGIE curriculum to increase allyship.
Equinix launched a sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) curriculum and hosted workshops on SOGIE with leaders across the company. SOGIE training increases knowledge, tools and resources for allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
6. Using our platform to raise awareness, provide education about LGBTQ+ issues and celebrate the queer community.
As a company, Equinix continues to show support at external events, join campaigns to support LGBTQ+ rights and partner with like-minded organizations to further LGBTQ+ equality.
Elevate queer joy with us, today and everyday
Equinix and the PrideConnect network are steadfast in our commitment to celebrating Pride and making our company culture as inclusive as possible throughout the year. Diversity benefits all of us and helps us deliver greater creativity and innovation. We hope you’ll join us this month in uplifting the LGBTQ+ community and elevating our queer joy, even as we face new and demanding challenges.
Explore opportunities to join the vibrant Equinix community by visiting our careers webpage.
[1] The Library of Congress, The History of Pride: How Activists Fought to Create LGBTQ+ Pride.
[2] ACLU, Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures, May 19, 2023.
[3] ILGA-Europe, Annual Review 2023, February 20, 2023.
[4] Learn more about global anti-LGBTQ laws: Human Rights Watch, LGBT Rights, #OUTLAWED: “The love that dare not speak its name”.
[5] Oxfam, Queer joy: What it is and why we need more of it, May 31, 2022.
[6] Human Rights Campaign, Report: Corporate Equality Index 2022.
[7] Stonewall, The Full List: Top Global Employers 2022, July 13, 2022.