Being “out” — and celebrating Pride — takes many forms.
This Pride Month, Chief Members are donning lapel pins honoring Audre Lorde, the self-described “Black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet, warrior,” who strove to make the world a better place for everyone through her art and activism. Lorde writes: “Each one of us is here because someone before us did something to make it possible.”
We asked Chief Members to reflect on what this quote means to them as leaders.Some chose to share their reflections anonymously, a signal of the cost of discrimination to LGBTQIA+ leaders and a representation of the 46% of employees who are not out to their manager at work.
With so many LGBTQIA+ employees and leaders still not out in their professional lives, Pride Month is a reminder that building a culture of safety, care, and authenticity isn’t a box to check once an employee requests it — it’s a vital leadership imperative.
‘None of us achieves anything entirely on our own’
“None of us achieves anything entirely on our own. Every opportunity, lesson, and milestone in my life has been shaped by people who generously invested their time, wisdom, courage, and care across generations. This fills me with gratitude and a sense of responsibility to help make things easier and do the same for others.”
Sofia B. Pertuz, PhD, PCC
Executive Leadership Coach & Workplace Culture Strategist
‘People before us had the courage to speak, resist, and make space for others’
“None of the progress we celebrate during Pride Month happened on its own.
“It exists because people before us had the courage to speak, resist, and make space for others. As an ally, I see it as both a message of gratitude and a call to responsibility — to honor that legacy by helping create a world where everyone is seen, safe, and valued.”
Michelle Ferguson
Retired Chief Operating Officer
‘They made it possible for me to imagine leadership without self-erasure’
“I know what it means to come up through the ranks measuring what was safe to reveal and what had to stay hidden. The people before me did more than open doors, they made it possible for me to imagine leadership without self-erasure.
“My responsibility now is to widen that doorway for others by building teams where safety is real, belonging is expected, and people do not have to choose between excellence and authenticity.”
Kelly Ritch
Chief Operating Officer
‘We can have conversations today that once seemed impossible’
“As a bisexual woman, I've had to navigate misconceptions, assumptions, and negative commentary about who I am. Those experiences have made me even more grateful for the people who came before me — those who spoke up, took risks, and created space for future generations to live more openly and authentically.
“Because of their courage, we can have conversations today that once seemed impossible.”
Sabrina McGuigan
Director, Franchise Operations, Global Rare Diseases
‘What's “no big deal” or even “boring” to my kid would have been cause for bullying, abuse, or worse’
“I think about the kind of parent I want to be to my kid, who is growing up in a world where she considers it completely normal that her life is full of LGBTQIA+ kids and adults of all types. What's ‘no big deal’ or even ‘boring’ to my kid would have been cause for bullying, abuse, or worse when I was a kid. I feel hopeful for our future when I see these kids embracing each other with such openness and acceptance.”
Chief Member
‘I am part of a continuum. And it's still going’
“My ability to move through the world as myself — to present in a way that feels authentic, to build a family while holding leadership roles — exists because other queer people took risks before me.
“Masculine-presenting women like myself have often occupied a complicated place, even within queer spaces. Lorde's words remind me that there have always been people who made room for lives that didn't fit the script, no matter the cost. I am part of a continuum. And it's still going.”
Lindsey Pearl
Vice President of Brand & Marketing, Chief
‘We have a responsibility to stand in the space they created’
“It means standing up. It means reaching back. We stand to keep the space our sisters and brothers fought and died for. We have a responsibility to stand in the space they created and to take our own steps forward so the next generation is that much closer to freedom, equality, and free love.”
Tanya Saracino
fCOO
‘I want to be somebody who makes it possible for the next generation to live freely and proudly.’
“We've made a lot of strides thanks to the brave souls who chose to stand up to discrimination in the past. But the past is repeating itself, and we're watching our rights get stripped away through new legislation almost every day, especially for our trans community. I want to be somebody who makes it possible for the next generation to live freely and proudly.”
Jenn Lederer
Communication Strategist x Stand-Up Comedian
‘I try to honor it by making the room a little wider for whoever comes next’
“Every space I occupy with confidence was made possible by someone who had the strength, grace, and courage to be fully themselves — brilliantly, joyfully, lovingly — in a world that didn’t always make room for them. I carry that with me, and I try to honor it by making the room a little wider for whoever comes next.”
Trey Boynton
Chief People & Diversity Officer, Chief
