Becoming an LGBTQ+ Ally During Pride Month and Beyond

Pride Month is an important and celebratory month for the SAP Concur organization, where I serve as chief marketing officer. In a previous role, when I was approached by the SAP Concur Pride Committee to serve as its executive sponsor, I jumped at the chance to drive greater awareness and acceptance. A primary motivation was an experience I had many years ago while living in Europe. I had become friends with a new hire in Germany, and one day when we were chatting on our way to visit customers, I asked what his partner did for work. I was surprised when he was hesitant to answer. “He’s an architect,” was his eventual response.

I was glad to learn more, but curious as to why he seemed concerned about a question I had asked others many times. When I inquired, he paused before answering, “Well, I was unsure how you would react.” I concluded that my friend had experienced enough intolerance to be worried to talk about his personal life, and it shocked me to the core when I realized we still lived in a world far less tolerant than I previously thought. It made me want to work a lot harder to be an ally for LGBTQ+ employees throughout what was then just Concur.

SAP Concur employees Miranda Simpson-Sawyer and Jane Rose at the 2019 Seattle LGBT Career Fair

I believe that people who know they are accepted for who they are will be happier and free to be more creative. That’s why, for a technology organization that must continuously innovate, a focus on diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do, it also has a positive impact on the company. Serving as an executive sponsor for the SAP Concur Pride Committee is an incredibly rewarding experience, both for me personally, and from a business perspective. It gives me the opportunity to discuss the committee’s work and impact with our executive team, which is highly engaged on issues around diversity and inclusion. The events the committee recommends for sponsorship are worthwhile in themselves. For example, in the Seattle region, we partner with YouthCare to assist homeless youth, a third of whom are part of the LGBTQ+ community. We support scholarship students from the LGBTQ+ community providing direct access to our internship opportunities. And in partnership with SAP Concur employee affinity groups that support employees of color, we sponsor recruiting events and drive attendance. These are valuable opportunities to recruit the talent and perspectives we need to be a successful line of business within SAP.

As far as the world has come since that conversation long ago with my friend in Germany, there is still much work to be done. Recently, I had another discouraging realization when SAP Concur released a survey of business travelers last year, which found the vast majority (95%) of LGBTQ+ travelers conceal their orientation while traveling, with most indicating they do it to protect their safety. We need to do much more to create a world in which people are free to be who they are, no matter where they travel.

Marching with SAP Concur employees in the 2019 Seattle pride parade

These are among the reasons I encourage more people to get involved. If you are passionate about the Pride movement or have wondered how to show support for LGBTQ+ colleagues and friends, now is a great time to jump in. I have found my participation with Pride@SAP one of the most rewarding experiences of my career at SAP, and you are likely to have a similar experience. The best compliment I was ever given was when someone said, “Thank you for being an ally.” Please join the movement – become an ally – and let’s make Pride Month 2020 the best one ever.