In celebration of Pride Month, MRIGlobal’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging committee (DIB) is proud to recognize the voices of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. In a more diverse society, one action we are taking toward achieving greater acceptance is making the effort to listen to voices and perspectives that are different from our own. In this spirit, we have planned recognition events throughout the month recognizing and supporting the voices of the LGBTQ+ community.
Since its establishment in June 2020, the DIB has hosted a variety of activities, giveaways, and events to engage employees, broadening collective awareness and acceptance. This has included working with Human Resources and Communications to offer the option of including an individual’s preferred pronouns in their official email signatures. The committee has also worked with HR to diversify our recruiting and retention efforts, while partnering to offer DEI training for staff and managers.
Most recently, the DIB launched a company-wide LGBTQ+ Pride playlist, with the goal of supporting a diversity of voices and perspectives. The playlist, featuring employees’ favorite songs from artists in the LGBTQ+ community, can be accessed via Spotify.
DIB contributes to the culture of MRIGlobal by recognizing and harnessing the power of diversity in our workplace. The committee helps further improve employees’ sense of inclusivity and belonging that comes from amplifying a variety of voices and embracing our diversity.
“Like so many groups across the institute, this committee is comprised entirely of employees who have taken this on in addition to their day-to-day job responsibilities. We are always learning, always open to discussions, and committed to making our workplace more inclusive,” says Erin Merritt, Capability Manager II, Life Sciences – Infectious Disease & Diagnostics, and co-founder of the DIB.