Article summary
This June, I was happy to take part in Atomic Object’s new initiative, supporting Pride Month. While Atomic prides itself (no pun intended) on its diversity within the company, this year, leadership chose to provide LGTBQIA+ and ally Atoms with additional opportunities to celebrate the diversity within our company and out in our communities.
So Many Ways to Support!
Our first challenge was to decide how to give Atoms an opportunity to celebrate Pride Month. Our main goal was to provide a message to our Atoms and communities that our workplace is a safe space for people of all orientations and genders. We also wanted to give Atoms an opportunity to individually show support, in a way that would be comfortable for them.
After talking with our marketing and leadership teams and a panel of Atoms, we decided on a few approaches. To participate in Pride Month with our Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids communities, we would hang a rainbow flag during the month of June. This six-color flag is a recognizable, bold symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride.
For Atoms who wanted to individually show support, we designed and printed a number of custom shirts, pins, and stickers. These allowed Atoms to opt-in to whatever their preferred Pride celebration method might be.
Shirts! Flags! Brown Bags! Oh My!
When it came time for implementation, I had the opportunity to work closely with Matt Behrens and the leadership team at Atomic to design all the Atomic Pride goodies! These designs reiterate the rainbow motif and integrate it with our existing Atomic Object logo.
While the designs were in the works, Matt and Mary O. helped size large flags for our office windows. These flags were sourced from an LGTBQ-run company, Pride Flag SD. We felt that choosing this company for our flags aligned with our initiative goals and gave back to the community we wanted to celebrate.
Come June, we were excited to see our flags hung and Atoms decked out in their rainbow best. To top things off, Matt volunteered to give an LGBTQIA+ history brown bag, providing an opportunity for Atoms to learn more about the history of Pride and the people who have shaped it.
At the end of the day, what a great way to make Atomic Object Proud.