The “Outies” are awarded at the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit. Outie Awards recognize individuals and organizations who are leaders in advancing equality for LGBTQ people in workplaces globally.
Nominations for the 2020 Outies were due in July. The information submitted was reviewed by an independent panel of business and community leaders.
Outie Award finalists are announced prior to the Workplace Summit. Winners will be revealed during Workplace Summit plenaries.
Out & Equal strongly encourages nominations of people of color, transgender and nonbinary people, people with disabilities, women, and other individuals who tend to be underrepresented in workplace leadership positions.
The 2020 Outie Categories:
workplace
Workplace Excellence
This is the most prestigious Outie. It recognizes an employer that demonstrates a historic and ongoing commitment to pursuing and implementing workplace equality for LGBTQ employees. This employer not only raises the bar and serves as an example for others, but also supports other organizations’ D&I efforts through active knowledge sharing and peer organization mentoring.
view honoreesWORKPLACE
Belonging During COVID
This award recognizes an organization – company, federal agency or non-profit – that stepped up to the challenges of operating in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic by innovating to maintain and increase a sense of belonging for all employees.
view honoreesERG
Employee Resource Group of the Year
This award recognizes a particular Employee Resource Group (ERG) that has a proven track record of success. A top contender will be an ERG that is continuously elevating best practices, implementing intersectional and collaborative programming with other ERGs, and advocating for LGBTQ equality in its workplace.
View honoreesINDIVIDUAL
LGBTQ Corporate Advocate of the Year
This award recognizes an LGBTQ individual who is actively advocating to improve their organization’s inclusion efforts, pushing significant adoption of best/innovative practice, benefiting LGBTQ employees and advancing their organizations standing as a true leader in this work. Advocates are bold and are making a difference outside their workplace to drive change and equality in their community, their country, and the world.
view honoreesindividual
Ally Changemaker
This award recognizes an Ally who has made a significant contribution to advancing LGBTQ workplace equality. This person is an action-oriented change maker. They uplift the voices of marginalized groups, have shown a unique commitment to LGBTQ workplace rights, and have used their talents to further that cause, even if at some risk.
view honoreesworkplace
Global Workplace Excellence
This award recognizes an employer based in one of Out & Equal’s Global countries and/or regions of focus – Brazil, Latin America, China or India – that demonstrates a commitment to pursuing workplace equality for LGBTQ employees. This employer has a robust ERG, strong ally engagement, and visible executive champions.
view honoreesERG
New ERG Chapter of the Year
This award recognizes an Employee Resource Group (ERG) chapter that has been established within the last two years (the organization ERG can have existed longer than that but the chapter must be new). This award recognizes a new chapter that has made a bold impact at their company, federal agency, or non-profit in their first few years.
view honoreesCompany/erg
LGBTQ Marketing of the Year
This award recognizes an innovative effort by a company or ERG in their external marketing to speak to or about the LGBTQ community. Top contenders will be bravely authentic, widely distributed, or intersectional in their messaging.
view honoreesPast Outie Awards Winners
Workplace Excellence
This is the most prestigious Outie. It recognizes an employer that has a historic and ongoing commitment to pursuing and executing workplace equality for LGBTQ employees in their workplace. This employer has a history of not only continually raising the bar of workplace equality for others to follow but also supports other organizations’ diversity and inclusion efforts as well through active knowledge sharing and peer organization mentoring.
Past Winners
2019 – Microsoft
2018 – Sodexo
2017 – Bank of America
2016 – Dell Inc.
2015 – The Walt Disney Company
2014 – Chevron
2013 – The Dow Chemical Company
2012 – Google
2011 – Accenture
2010 – IBM Corporation
2009 – Sun Microsystems
2008 – PepsiCo
2007 – Wells Fargo
2006 – JPMorgan Chase
2005 – Citigroup
2004 – Kaiser Permanente and Pacific Gas & Electric Company (Tied)
2003 – NCR Corporation
2002 – American Airlines
2001 – IBM
2000 – Eastman Kodak Company
Employee Resource Group of the Year
This award recognizes a particular Employee Resource Group (ERG) that has a proven track record of success. A top contender will be an ERG that is continuously elevating diversity, implementing intersectional and collaborative programming with other ERGs, and advocating for LGBTQ equal rights in its workplace.
Past Winners
2019 – Out – NBC Universal
2018 – Cracker Barrel LGBT Alliance
2017 – IC Pride – US Intelligence Community
2016 – PRIDE Team Network – Wells Fargo
2015 – Open & Out, Johnson & Johnson
2014 – Citi PRIDE Network
2013 – PRIDE (Lockheed Martin) & LGBTA Business Council (Target)
2012 – OutServe (U.S. Department of Defense)
2011 – LGBT Pride Resource Group, Bank of America
2010 – The Clorox Company
2009 – (Tie) General Motor’s People Like Us & US Department of State and USAID’s Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies
2008 – Hewlett-Packard’s HP PRIDE
2007 – Nike’s GLBT & Friends Network
2006 – GLEAM, Mircrosoft
2005 – Chevron Lesbian & Gay Employee Association (CLGEA)
2004 – Lambda Network at Eastman Kodak Company
2003 – GLBC at SC Johnson
2002 – SEA Shell at Shell Oil, Co.
2001 – Pride at Walt Disney
2000 – LEAGUE at AT&T
LGBTQ Corporate Advocate of the Year
This award recognizes an LGBTQ individual who is actively advocating to improve their organization’s inclusion efforts, pushing significant adoption of best/innovative practice, benefiting LGBTQ employees and advancing their organizations standing as a true leader in this work. Advocates are bold and are making a difference outside their workplace to drive change and equality in their community, their country, and the world.
Past Winners
2019 – Moe Abdul-Rahim, Mercer
2014 – Greer Puckett (Northrop Grumman)
2012 – Lance Freedman, Lockheed Martin
2011 – Claudia Woody, IBM Corporation
2010 – Bill Hendrix, The Dow Chemical Company
2009 – Richard Clark, Accenture
2008 – Chris Crespo, Ernst & Young
2007 – Dr. Judy Lively, Kaiser Permanente
2006 – Emily Jones, Kodak
2005 – Leslie (Les) Hohman, GM PLUS
2004 – Robert Burrell, Ford
2003 – Wesley Combs, Witeck-Combs Communications
2002 – Dr. Louise Young, Raytheon
2001 – Mary Ann Horton, Avaya
2000 – Tom Ammiano, Leslie Katz and Susan Leal, San Francisco Supervisors
Ally Change Maker
This award recognizes an Ally who has made a significant contribution to advancing LGBTQ workplace equality. This person is an action-oriented change maker. They uplift the voices of marginalized groups, have shown a unique commitment to LGBTQ workplace rights, and have used their talents to further that cause, even if at some risk.
Past Winners
2019 – Ana Helena Chacón, Former Vice President of Costa Rica
2017 – Ramkrishna Sinha, Intel Corporation
2016 – Thomas Vilsack, USDA Secretary
2015 – Howard Ungerleider, The Dow Chemical Company
2014 – Vijay Anand
2013 – Cathy Bessant, Bank of America
2012 – Harry van Dorenmalen, IBM
2011 – Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox
2010 – Mark Bertolini, Aetna Healthcare
2009 – Randy Kammer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
2008 – William C. Thompson, Jr., City of New York
2007 – Ana Duarte McCarthy, Citi
2006 – Deborah Dagit, Merck
2005 – June R. Cohen, DuPont
2004 – Laura Brooks, Eastman Kodak
2003 – Judy Boyette, University of California
2002 – William Perez, CEO of SC Johnson & Son
2001 – Cathy Brill & Lisa Vitale, Kodak
2000 – Ethel Batten, Lucent Technologies
New ERG Chapter of the Year
This award recognizes an Employee Resource Group (ERG) chapter that has been established within the last two years (the organization ERG can have existed longer than that but the chapter must be new). This award recognizes a new chapter that has made a bold impact at their company, federal agency, or non-profit in their first few years.
Past Winners
2019 – Bank of America LGBT+ Pride India Chapter