It’s become a trend for companies to beef up their marketing efforts during June, using vibrant rainbow colors to showcase their support of the LGBTQIA+ community. But beyond the advertisements, billboards and sponsored floats, one might still wonder: Are these companies actually doing anything to invest in equality?
While not every company is truly working to push the needle forward, many are. Invitae, for example, is using its position as a healthtech company to enact change on a large scale: Among other initiatives, the company recently restructured the order and reporting of its genetic tests to be more inclusive of patients who are transgender and gender non-conforming.
To see just how effective these actions can be on a micro and macro scale, Built In Austin connected with Invitae. We learned what allyship can look like when done right, and what meaningful steps other companies can take to ensure their employees and the greater community are better heard, supported and celebrated.
Invitae aims to make it easier for users to access their genetic information to make more informed healthcare decisions.
How is your company celebrating Pride throughout the month of June?
We have a treasure trove of celebrations planned to highlight the LGBTQIA+ community at Invitae. Here is how we’re acknowledging and honoring the community for the month of June:
- Flying the Invitae Pride flag at our SF headquarters
- Online virtual dance class to get moving together
- DIY crafty happy hour
- LGBTQIA+ trivia contest
- Month-long fundraising for LGBTQIA+ organizations
How Invitae supports the greater LGBTQIA+ community
- Fundraising for the LGBTQIA+ community
- Proudly wears Invitae swag throughout the year with the company’s pride logos
- Restructured the ordering and reporting of genetic tests from Invitae’s website to be more inclusive of transgender and gender non-conforming patients
- Wrote a Human Rights Campaign letter that stands in opposition to state legislature that is anti-LGBTQIA+ communities
- Holds ongoing roundtable discussions with members of the LGBTQIA+ communities
How does your company support and empower the LGBTQIA+ members of your team?
We have an employee resource group (ERG) whose mission is to provide a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies to connect, support one another and foster inclusion internally and externally at Invitae. We’ve established frameworks for LGBTQIA+ employees to feel affirmed and accepted within the workplace, or when transitioning at work, coming out in the workplace, sharing their pronouns and more.
We plan community table talks around transgender people in the workplace and how you can be an ally, host roundtables, and present at conferences such as Lesbians Who Tech, to better hire from within the LGBTQIA+ community. We’re also working on Invitae’s roadmap to be included on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
