For the second year running, United Airlines will be the headline sponsor and official airline partner for Pride in London 2023, demonstrating its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community globally. Jenny Southan reports
United Airlines employees will participate in this year’s Pride in London parade on July 1, 2023, and will be entering a lively, colourful float into the parade.
This is the second year United has been the official airline for Pride in London. United says it has a “proud history of supporting LGBTQ+ communities and has previously marched together in parades and attended festivals in the UK and around the world”.
In the UK, United’s employee-run Business Resource Group, EQUAL, has previously honoured veteran campaigner, Peter Tatchell, by presenting an EQUAL award at London Heathrow in recognition of all the work he has undertaken over the decades to campaign for equal rights for LGBTQ+ communities and others.
Mike Henning, United’s EQUAL president, says: “At United Airlines, we have a dynamic and diverse group of employees around the world and believe in equality for everyone. To be the official airline for Pride in London is an amazing moment for United. I am sure that all of our employees taking part will have an exciting day as together, we fly our United flag with pride.”
Will De’Athe-Morris, Pride in London’s director of communications, says: “Pride in London is very pleased to welcome United Airlines as the official airline and headline sponsor for 2023. Pride stands for visibility, unity and equality for all LGBT+ people, in London and around the world. We applaud United Airlines in working with us to make this powerful statement of commitment to these principles.”
This summer, United is offering up to 23 daily flights from London Heathrow to the United States. The airline operates nonstop daily services to its hubs at Chicago O’Hare, New York/Newark, Washington/Dulles, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as to Boston.
United creates a workplace where all employees feel included and empowered to make a measurable difference in the company’s success. The airline is committed to creating and implementing workplace policies that support LGBTQ+ coworkers. As a result, United has earned a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and has been named Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality for over a decade.
EQUAL is United’s employee-run Business Resource Group committed to building, developing, fostering, and promoting an inclusive organization that benefits all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (“LGBTQ+”) coworkers and allies. With more than 4,800 members, multiple chapters, and employees from every labour group, division and hub airport, EQUAL continues to cultivate and promote United’s diversity and inclusion strategy.
EQUAL offers philanthropic, educational, professional development and networking opportunities for its members to become more well-rounded individuals, both at United and within the community.
EQUAL hosts a number of networking, seminar and guest speaker series throughout the year and has featured individuals like Rocco Claps, former Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and Aditi Hardikar, former Director of Public Engagement for the White House.
Pride in London is a majority volunteer-led organisation responsible for delivering the capital’s flagship LGBT+ Pride parade and events since 2013. Pride in London’s mission is to promote visibility, unity and equality in society for all LGBT+ people and allies.
It does this by producing LGBT+ Pride events that inspire, celebrate, educate, and commemorate our diverse community. The annual event now welcomes over 1.5 million LGBT+ people and allies onto the streets of London.