Charlotte Pride urges reinstatement of DEI programs after major corporations and UNC System roll back LGBTQ support

Following a successful, vibrant annual Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade weekend, Charlotte Pride strongly supports the continuation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, in light of disappointing recent decisions by corporations and academic institutions.

Charlotte Pride is encouraged by the ongoing support of Business Resource Groups and Employee Resource Groups that have been longtime champions of its work and mission. We are disheartened that some corporations have chosen to roll back support of these groups and of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

We call on corporations, organizations, and institutions to strengthen their support for DEI programs and for employees, stakeholders, and customers who represent a variety of identities and perspectives. We recognize that DEI programs and resource groups are essential to create safe spaces in which people with shared identities, interests, or goals can come together to share challenges, discuss shared experiences, and support each other in both professional and personal development. And, we look forward to continuing to work with these groups who champion the LGBTQ+ community and help ensure that workplaces do not feel isolating or hostile.

Charlotte Pride shares our community’s deep concern at the University of North Carolina (UNC) System Board of Governors’ decision to eliminate DEI programs across the university system. Academic institutions’ DEI programs have fostered years of progress toward a more inclusive and equitable environment for students, faculty, and staff. These impactful programs sent a clear message that diversity and inclusion were priorities within the UNC system, and the decision to eliminate them represents a setback not only for the people whom these programs served, but for the institution as a whole, with voices silenced and academic discourse and thought hampered.

Charlotte Pride urges its corporate partners like Lowe’s Home Improvement, a longtime supporter of Charlotte Pride – as well as the UNC System and other organizations – to recommit to DEI initiatives and resource groups. We remain hopeful that our corporate partners and other essential institutions within our state will reaffirm their commitment to every employee, student, and citizen – including minority and LGBTQ+ communities — recognizing that these programs and people are essential for the long-term success and sustainability of their institutions.

In the face of growing challenges for our state’s LGBTQ+ citizens, it is more important than ever to stand in solidarity as a united community and to uplift each and every person. Charlotte Pride, whose mission is to make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas, remains committed to creating spaces where everyone can thrive and be affirmed and celebrated for who they are.