WASHINGTON — Today, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates announced the winners of the 2021 Outie Awards (also known as the “Outies”). With a more than 20-year history, the Outies offer prestigious recognition for individuals and organizations who are leaders in advancing equality for LGBTQ people in workplaces globally. Outies are awarded at the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit.

“This year’s Outie Award winners represent some of the best and most innovative work done at large companies to create cultures where LGBTQ employees belong and thrive,” said Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal. “These individuals, companies, and ERGs are blazing new trails and creating a future of work that is more accepting, inclusive, and intersectional. Congratulations to all of our winners and honorees!”

Workplace Excellence, the most prestigious Outie, was awarded to JPMorgan Chase in recognition of their historic and ongoing commitment to pursuing and implementing workplace equality for LGBTQ employees.

The Belonging & Equity Visionary award – a new award created in 2021 – was awarded to Bank of America for their efforts to build a workplace culture that fosters connection, collaboration, and allyship among employees across boundaries of cultures and race.

This year’s Employee Resource Group of the Year award resulted in a tie for both Out Front at Capital One and OPEN at Oracle. These ERGs were selected for their track record of elevating best practices, implementing intersectional and collaborative programming with other ERGs, and advocating for LGBTQ equality in their workplace.

LGBTQ Corporate Advocate of the Year was awarded to Dr. Shilpen Patel in recognition of his work to push for more inclusive methods of research in the medical field that has benefited LGBTQ people across the world.

Ally Changemaker was awarded to Shobha Pandey in recognition of her contributions to advancing LGBTQ workplace equality at John Deere, including the creation of her company’s LGBTQ+ ERG in India.

Global LGBTQ Corporate Advocate was awarded to Luiz Felipe Centeno Ferraz for dedicating his life to advancing LGBTQ inclusion in Brazil and in recognition of his bold actions towards making a difference in his workplace and community.

The New ERG Chapter of the Year was awarded to Boeing Employee Transgender Family Members Group (BETFaM) in recognition of their impressive work to create a community of support for family members of transgender and nonbinary people at work.

More information about the Outies is available at: https://outandequal.org/the-outie-awards/

Out & Equal is the premier organization working exclusively on LGBTQ workplace equality. Through our worldwide programs, Fortune 500 partnerships and our annual Workplace Summit conference, we help LGBTQ people thrive and support organizations creating a culture of belonging for all.

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