Proudly ourselves: Celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community

In 1999, an email began circulating around Amazon promoting happy hours and connecting LGBTQIA+ employees to build an internal community. The group formalized to become Glamazon, Amazon’s official LGBTQIA+ employee resource group in 2005.  

We now have more than 80 Glamazon global chapters working together to build community, awareness, and resources for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. One of the group’s most visible annual occasions is Pride Month, which Glamazonians are celebrating in 2023 under the theme “Proud to be Me.”

We met with three AWS leaders from Glamazon to learn more about the organization's mission, successes, and priorities as they relate to inclusion in the workplace, LGBTQIA+ issues, and how Glamazon is delivering positive impacts for employees and local communities.

Gareth Muc-Johnson is a senior alliances manager for AWS technology partnerships in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the chair of the Glamazon global board in EMEA; Gina Duff is an AWS infrastructure delivery operations manager and the board president for a Glamazon chapter in Eastern Oregon; and Vincent Ramirez is an instructional designer for AWS Training and Certification and co-vice president of the Glamazon global board.  

What are some of the biggest challenges facing LGBTQIA+ employees in the workplace today, and how does Glamazon work together and with Amazon leadership to address them?

Gareth: According to a McKinsey report on how the LGBTQIA+ community fares in the workplace, LGBTQIA+ employees face unique challenges at work, including increased rates of sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender and orientation. Trans employees also face a distinct set of obstacles to performance and career progression. Employee resource groups such as Glamazon can help LGBTQIA+ employees feel connected to a community and broaden the pipeline of recruitment, mentorship, and advising. They also have a role in educating, informing, and building allyship more broadly, which our senior leadership teams fully support.

Our Enablement series coupled with specific employee resources such as our Trans Employee Toolkit can provide structured support for employees and managers when individuals are transitioning. Amazon has shown support for LGBTQIA+ employees by developing a clear mission for supporting LGBTQIA in the workplace and establishing strong anti-discrimination policies. Glamazon has also developed support programs for LGBTQIA+ employees and promotes allies of LGBTQIA+ people. Offering LGBTQIA-friendly benefits and fostering a gender-neutral environment such as toilet facilities.

Gina: One thing that will always be at the forefront is acceptance. We strive to ensure that everyone who comes to work can feel comfortable and accepted as their authentic self. Glamazon board members maintain an open door/safe space for anyone who needs it. We encourage employees to reach out to us with opportunities to assist them. We also encourage participation in all Glamazon events and keep communications open to all.

What are your favorite initiatives or programs that Glamazon has led or been involved in to support LGBTQIA+ employees, and what has been the impact of these efforts?

Gareth: The Trans Toolkit is built primarily for employees who wish to transition while at Amazon, to ensure that they receive the support they may need, however much of the information provided may apply to employees who are at different stages of their transition journey, as well as the wider transgender and gender non-conforming community. We recognize that every individual’s experiences are unique, and we are committed to the principle that you can bring your whole self to work. This toolkit, developed in the UK and iterated for global consumption has been extremely rewarding to see. I have been honored to meet some extremely brave individuals who have been able to utilize the Toolkit to help ease concerns and worries with their transition at work. I have learned so much from our Trans community and I am humbled to help support this under-represented part of our community.

Vincent: I recently had an opportunity to connect in person with various Glamazon leaders in our Asia Pacific region. From a global perspective, it was a unique opportunity to learn how we can build better mechanisms to improve our business, culture, and community and bring global parity in the areas impacting the LGBTQIA+ community at Amazon. While many of the initiatives are still in progress, I am excited about the collaboration and impact my fellow leaders will have helping Amazon further define our leadership principal “Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer.”

What are some of the highlights or themes Glamazon is promoting for Pride 2023?

Gareth: This year’s theme is Proud to be Me. LGBTQIA+ people are proud to be themselves because they can express themselves freely and be who they are without fear of discrimination. They are proud of their diversity and resilience. Pride means celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and honoring those who came before them.

Gina: “Proud to be Me” is about empowering everyone to have the right to be their authentic self without fear of persecution. We are also promoting acceptance and inclusion to break down barriers and help remove stigmas around the LGBTQIA+ community.

How can members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community best support Glamazon’s work/mission?

Gareth: Communication, learning, and amplification. As our community continues to be more diverse, we are all learning. Sometimes I think diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a hot topic where people do not want to put their hands up and ask a question. Here at Glamazon, we want everyone to be themselves. I would urge people to ask questions, learn, help us amplify those messages, and help foster a new wave of increased acceptance. Each element within our community has their own challenges, lessons, and unique perspectives and its our job to learn from one another.

Gina: By engaging and supporting the events that Glamazon puts on and always being open to having genuine discussions with people, both in the community and outside.

What resources or training opportunities are available for managers and colleagues who want to better support LGBTQIA+ employees and causes?

Gareth: There is a whole host of training available on our internal training platforms and Glamazon pages. These courses have been built to understand the basics of DEI, how to be an ally, manager-specific training needs, as well as wider training for the community and beyond. We also run regular observability days and weeks where employees can get involved.

Vincent: Aside from formal DEI trainings available through our learning platforms, Glamazon members host various panels, workshops, and speaker engagements globally which help drive conversations around a wide variety of topics including gender identity, pronouns, and how to bring one’s authentic self to the workplace. These are created by the wonderful Glamazon members who volunteer their time to raise awareness and advocate for Amazon employees. Many of these resources are recorded and available for employees to watch on-demand.

How does Glamazon engage with the broader LGBTQIA+ community outside the workplace?

Gina: At my regional chapter in Portland, we partner with other LGBTQIA+ groups in the area on events, have a monthly happy hour that is open to everyone, and do our best to hold a community Pride event that is open to all in the community.

Vincent: Glamazon encourages our members and allies to get involved in their local communities. Along with Pride celebrations, many of our Glamazon chapters organize volunteer events with nonprofit organizations—both general and LGBTQIA+ focused. These events make a difference in the communities where we live and serve. Events can focus on a wide range of causes including nutrition, housing, medical care, and advocacy.  

Gareth: We attend over 100 Pride celebrations globally, and work alongside other corporate organizations to share best practices and develop support programs to better serve our employees. This year, Glamazon has a strong focus on building our community engagement with charitable giving and volunteering, which is being led by the regional chapters. 

Can you share any other noteworthy data or proof points about Glamazon’s work and impacts?

Vincent: Glamazon continues to be recognized on a global scale for its advocacy work. Over the years, Glamazon has been a recipient of several awards including Outfest Guardian Award and was recently shortlisted for the British LGBT Awards. Amazon has earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for five years in a row, ranking us among the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”

If you were to talk to an LGBTQIA+ job candidate about working at AWS, what would you tell them about the culture and community here?

Gareth: Our culture of inclusivity is at our core, from the CEO level down. Our commitment to a diverse employee culture is testament to the success of Amazon as a whole. Our diverse perspectives help us build better products for our customers and ultimately helps us be better human beings!

Gina: In every interview that I do, I always discuss how AWS has an open and inclusive culture and tell them about the multiple affinity groups that we have here and what they offer to our builders.

Vincent: AWS truly values input from all employees, including those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. At AWS, you can actively participate in affinity groups and it’s not only supported, but embraced by leadership throughout the organization. I believe AWS has been successful at creating opportunities for members and allies of various communities to bring their authentic selves to work and to learn more about others and their diverse backgrounds.   

The theme for this year’s Pride Month celebrations at Amazon is 'Proud to be Me'. What's one attribute of yourself that you're most proud of and why?

Gareth: Having held many roles over my career, I am proud that I can truly be myself in an authentic way at Amazon. Having spent a number of years having to “tone down” my manner or behave in a way that was fitting for a role, I am proud that I can be myself, learn from others, and grow as an individual. My advice is that if you are dimming your light because of where you work, then that is not the right place for you. If you’re interested in exploring our inclusive culture further, ask your recruiter if you can speak with someone from Glamazon before or during your interview process.

Gina: I am proud of the fact that I am accepting of everyone, regardless of race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation. I have always been curious about others’ choices and lifestyles, so I enjoy having engaging conversations with different people to expand my own knowledge. I think that if more people took the time to have those conversations, we could remove a lot of the stigma that follows the LQBTQIA+ community. I have always been a firm ally and supporter for the community and through lots of conversations and research I have discovered that I am asexual myself. I am also raising a trans child and am very proud of them for being so strong to be able to come out. I’m fortunate for being able to share this journey with them.

Vincent: When I reflect on my professional journey here at Amazon, I am proud of the progress I have made with Glamazon, especially having come from a previous company where there weren’t many discussions around DEI and employee resource groups were non-existent. While serving on the Glamazon board, I’ve helped foster several initiatives around inclusion and intersectionality, and was recently voted by my peers as the co-vice president where I am able to create more impact on a larger scale.

Is there anything else you'd like to note about Glamazon, Pride, or inclusion at AWS?

Vincent: Although my gender expression hasn’t changed since joining AWS, I have learned more about the spectrum of gender identity through colleagues that I have been privileged to interact with and now call my friends. At AWS, when I walk into a room I don’t have to be worried about being the only person of color, or being treated differently because I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I'm able to come into a work environment that I don’t have to worry about those things—a place where people are people.

Gina: Inclusion is something that should happen everywhere, not just in an affinity group. Also, Pride is not just a month, it is a way of life. The LGBTQIA+ community lives it every day!

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