While we support the LGBTQ+ community every day, June marks a special time for us to celebrate Pride Month with our customers, team members and communities. All month long, we’re participating in Pride events in Grand Rapids, Mich., Indianapolis, Cleveland and Kalamazoo, Mich., as well as in Bay City and Flint, Mich., Terre Haute, Ind., and Findlay, Ohio.
We’re also celebrating our LGBTQ+ business partners by featuring their products in our stores and online.
“It’s so exciting to highlight these brands as part of our Pride Month celebration in stores,” Dry Grocery Merchandising Director Kaylee Schultz said. “We want our customers to see themselves reflected in the products on our shelves, but of course they don’t always know the stories behind these brands. It’s great to be able to get these stories out in front of our customers so they not only get to learn more about the products, but also be inspired to try new things in support of LGBTQ+-owned businesses.”
But while we enjoy celebrating Pride Month, we’re proud of our everyday commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community year-round.
For the third year in a row, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation named us a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, meaning we scored a 100 percent on the organization’s Corporate Equality Index that measures corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
We also partner with nonprofits like the Gay & Sexualities Alliance to support and empower LGBTQ+ youth across the Midwest.
Our Meijer Pride team member resource group plays an important role in our efforts by providing a community for our LGBTQ+ team members and their allies and driving our decisions to best support our customers and community.
“We've been able to do a lot and provide resources to our team members and allies over the past 4 years. It's been really great to be part of that,” Meijer Pride Lead Gary Artman said.
For example, last year, Meijer Pride led an initiative to invite our team members to include their pronouns on their name badges and in email signatures.
“Our goal is to create a space where everyone can bring their true and authentic best self to work every day,” Gary said. “We want people to know that they're safe, that they're supported, that they are heard, that they are seen, and that Meijer welcomes everybody to our team and to our customer base. We are a great place to work, a great place to shop, and a great community partner.”
Meijer is also bringing together a collection of products, both in-store and online, to help our communities recognize and celebrate Pride Month.