It’s Pride Month!

This June, we’ve been celebrating Pride month by creating safe spaces and opportunities for our employees to show up as members of the LGBTQ+ community, an ally, or to simply learn and deepen understanding.
 

Internal LENS Session

Led by the LGBTQ+ Equity Team, employees came together for a virtual LENS event (a series of courageous conversations to bring perspective, awareness, and conversation on important topics to our business by Listening Empowering Narratives and Speaking up) on “Why I Celebrate Pride.” Individuals from across Herman Miller shared their reasons for celebrating Pride not only during June, but every day, and shared about the lived experiences of coming out, the teaching moments on the journey to allyship, the struggle of navigating a highly complex society that labels and “others,” people, and the beauty in finding community to be your true and authentic self.
 

First Global Pride Event

The LGBTQ+ Equity Team held our first-ever global Pride event on June 23, 2021. The event was hosted by Design Matters' Debbie Millman with several special guests: former RuPaul's Drag Race contestant The Vixen, actress/singer Morganna Love, our Chief Creative Officer Ben Watson, legendary graphic designer Steve Frykholm, and more.

There was also a silent auction to benefit our nonprofit partners supported by Herman Miller Cares: OutRight Action International, The Fund for College Auditions, Vida Alegre and The 519.
 

Pride Hang It All

For every Eames Pride Hang-It-All purchased, Herman Miller is donating $25 to OutRight Action International.
 

Showing Up as an Ally

Allyship is important not only in the LGBTQ+ community, but for all underrepresented groups. To expand the network of visible allies around Herman Miller, employees were given the opportunity to sign up and join an allyship group.

“Allyship is about showing up for family, friends, and colleagues in the LGBTQ+ community, making new connections, actively listening, being present, becoming educated on LGBTQ+ history, learning from the past, and helping to protect and advance the rights of our LGBTQ+ community,” said Jennifer Kramer, LGBTQ+ Equity Team member and New York Showroom Manager.

Employees were also encouraged to use virtual backgrounds and screensavers during meetings to show support as well as adding pronouns to email signatures.

Herman Miller has a long-standing commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, including 14 consecutive perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) corporate equality index. Learn more at hermanmiller.com/pride.

“People express allyship in different ways and as we speak out on how to be an ally for all communities and groups, there is always one easy option as a first step – and that is to show up.” – LGBTQ+ Equity Team