Pride Month 2025 at New Directions

June marks the start of Pride Month, which is a time of celebration, reflection, and solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. 

At New Directions, Pride Month is more than a calendar event. It’s an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to create a workplace culture where every individual feels safe, seen, and empowered to be their authentic self.

We believe that when people feel accepted and valued, they flourish — both personally and professionally. That’s why we’re working every day to ensure New Directions is a place where all identities are embraced, and everyone has the freedom to thrive.

Why Pride Matters

Pride Month is rooted in protest and progress. It commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. Over the decades, Pride has evolved into both a celebration of love, identity, and community and a continued call for equality and visibility.

For many, coming to work as their full, authentic selves hasn’t always felt possible. 

That’s why it’s so important that we create and nurture a workplace culture that not only accepts but celebrates individuality. This is about more than colourful flags and social media posts — it’s about building a company where inclusivity is lived and felt every day.

An Inclusive Space for Everyone

At New Directions, our goal is to foster a space where everyone feels welcome, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, background, or lived experience. That includes:

• Celebrating LGBTQIA+ voices through storytelling, education, and engagement
  
• Providing support via inclusive policies, wellbeing initiatives, and resources for LGBTQIA+ team members and allies
  
• Listening and learning so we can evolve and grow as an organisation that prioritises respect, belonging, and fairness
  
• Challenging bias wherever it appears — from unconscious assumptions to structural inequalities

Inclusion is not about ticking boxes. It’s about building trust. It’s about showing, through action and culture, that every person has a rightful place here.

What Pride Means to Us as a Team

We know that Pride means something different to everyone. For some, it’s a joyful celebration. For others, it’s a powerful reminder of the journey towards acceptance. For allies, it’s a chance to listen, learn, and stand alongside our colleagues and friends.

That’s why we’re creating opportunities across the business for our teams to engage — whether that’s attending local Pride events, taking part in inclusive training, or simply joining in conversations that help us grow closer as a community.

And we’re inviting everyone, across every level of the organisation, to play their part. Inclusion isn’t the job of one department or one month — it’s a collective effort, led by empathy, openness, and courage.

To our LGBTQIA+ colleagues: we see you, we appreciate you, and we stand with you. Whether you’re out and proud, questioning, or not ready to share your identity, know that New Directions is a place where you belong.

We are proud of the diversity within our teams, and we are committed to building an environment where authenticity is encouraged, and every voice is valued.

Looking Ahead

Pride Month is a moment to celebrate, but also a moment to recommit. At New Directions, we are continuously working to ensure our policies, practices, and culture reflect our values. We’re listening, we’re learning, and we’re taking meaningful steps to ensure that inclusion isn’t just something we talk about — it’s something we live.

We’re proud to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community this month and every month.