Throughout the month of June 2022, Southern Glazer’s amplified the importance of inclusiveness for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ+) community by engaging employees and community partners in celebrating Pride Month. Through a series of internal virtual panels and events, as well as promoting charitable organizations that provide meaningful support, the Company looked to educate employees to become better allies of our LGBTQ+ family. Highlights of employee activities that took place throughout the month are listed below.
“Resilience: Living Authentically” Leadership Panel
This virtual employee event was jointly hosted by Southern Glazer’s internal VolunCheers corporate social responsibility team and C.H.E.E.R.S. to Diversity business resource group to share stories about “Resilience: Living Authentically” from two exceptional Southern Glazer’s leaders who are members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community: Senior Vice President, Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, Lee Schrager, and Senior Vice President, Labor and Employment, Lauren Mutti. The impactful discussion was moderated by Terry Goods, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion. The panel also featured a special guest speaker from the Ali Forney Center, an organization whose mission is to protect homeless LGBTQ+ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to be independent.
“Share the Love” Virtual Panel
Lee Schrager also moderated a second virtual panel discussion with representatives from Lambda Legal, National LGBTQ Task Force, and Southern Glazer’s Multicultural Center of Excellence. During the discussion, employees learned how Southern Glazer’s is supporting the LGBTQ+ community through its “Share the Love” program (promoting LGBTQ+ friendly and supportive wine and spirits brands in our portfolio) and the charities will share their unique missions and ties to the Company. This event concluded with an exciting Pride Month-themed cocktail demonstration by Bridget Albert, Sr. Beam Suntory National Director of Education, and co-host of Southern Glazer’s Served Up podcast.
PFLAG Virtual Workshop - “What Would You Do? The Advanced Ally’s Guide to Being Active in Tough Situations”
Navigating conflict when LGBTQ+ equality comes up in the workplace can be challenging and intimidating. When, where, and how to react can be stressful. This session, developed for advanced, self-identified allies, and hosted by PFLAG, takes on that issue and led participants in a skill-building experience to fine-tune their ally skills and develop the resources to take on a tough and tricky world. This event was kicked off with welcoming remarks from Eric Scheiner, Director of Inside Sales, who is a proud member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community.
While Pride Month creates a unique opportunity to recognize the LGBTQ+ community, Southern Glazer’s promotes inclusion all year round through its C.H.E.E.R.S to Pride business resource group. C.H.E.E.R.S to Pride is open to all Southern Glazer’s employees who support the cultivation of a diverse culture based on inclusivity, equality, fairness, and awareness for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning community. The group's vision is to create a platform that enhances professional development, career advancement, educational awareness, health and wellness, and mentorship opportunities for our team members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as all who support the community.
To learn more about all the causes Southern Glazer’s cares about, click here.
