Business leaders to march together at Budapest Pride

Representatives of companies taking part at the 2016 march. (Photo: Nikolett Penziás / Nyitottak vagyunk)

Many company leaders will head groups of several dozen colleagues at the parade, according to the press release. They include the heads of high-profile international brands and local businesses alike.

By signing up to attend the event, business leaders have expressed their agreement with the following statement:

“As a business leader I’ll participate in Budapest Pride. People would like to work for companies where they can be sure the only thing that matters is their performance, regardless of their gender identity, their ethnicity or whom they love. As a leader, I consider it an important and responsible act to stand for this value and for our current and future employees. An open workplace is good for employees, means a competitive advantage for business actors, is the key for better performance, and for hiring and retaining colleagues. Thus I join WeAreOpen’s initiative and try to inspire other leaders to do the same. Let’s meet at WeAreOpen’s float when the Pride march starts on July 8.”

The parade will be attended by the heads of Hungarian offices of well-known international companies, including the founders of WeAreOpen – Prezi, espell and Google – and the CEOs and chairs of Citi, BlackRock, BP, Diageo, Eaton, GE, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Nielsen, Procter & Gamble, and Vodafone.

The heads of several dozen Hungarian companies have also signed up to march together with the WeAreOpen float, including research company leaders, communications and advertising experts, coworking office founders, media company leaders, prop makers, architects, web developers, café owners, and startup developers and managers.

Inclusiveness makes business sense

Those joining the WeAreOpen initiative hold the fundamental belief that everyone is to be judged solely on the basis of their actions and achievements, without regard to age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national or ethnic identity and origin, political, religious or other views, and physical or other abilities. They are convinced that being an inclusive company or organization is not only right, but also makes good business sense.

One in two employees has encountered negative discrimination at the workplace in Hungary, WeAreOpen notes. After people of Roma ethnicity, members of the LGBTQ community face the greatest workplace prejudice in Hungary. Approximately 70% of staff would not like to have a lesbian or gay boss, research shows.

The next generation, however, thinks differently, the press release continues. According to 2017 figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, while there are 43,000 unfilled jobs in Hungary’s private sector, 83% of students aged over 18 would chose a workplace that they know is inclusive, while international research shows that inclusive companies are more successful and that people working there are more satisfied.

“It’s important for companies and business leaders to attend Budapest Pride in person. This is their issue, too. By participating they’re sending a message to their current and future employees and standing up for everyone being judged solely on the basis of their actions and achievements,” said Melinda Miklós, CEO of WeAreOpen.

WeAreOpen will be participating in Budapest Pride for the fifth time. Business leaders, companies and organizations still have time to sign up on the nyitottakvagyunk.hu website.