The Outie Awards
Since its inception more than 20 years ago, Out & Equal has recognized more than 100 individuals, organizational practices, and ERGs across a range of categories whose work is proven to have advanced LGBTQ+ workplace equity and belonging for all. Our finalists each year are role models, having demonstrated replicable inclusive leadership efforts in their organizations and beyond. The Outie Award is presented to winners at the annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit, elevating the award-winners’ profile as an LGBTQ+ inclusion champion and providing employer of choice visibility for winning organizations.
A committee comprised of Out & Equal leaders and external subject matter experts review nominations against rigorous, globally-informed criteria.
Award Categories
Workplace Excellence & Belonging
The most prestigious of the Outie Awards, the Workplace Excellence and Belonging Outie Award recognizes an employer that demonstrates a historic and ongoing commitment to pursuing and implementing workplace equality for LGBTQ+ employees. This employer’s LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion initiative raises the bar and serves as an example for others, but also supports other organizations’ DEI efforts through active knowledge sharing and peer organization mentoring.
Employee Resource Group of the Year
The Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the Year Outie Award recognizes a particular 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.
LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate
The LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate of the Year Outie Award recognizes an LGBTQ+ individual who is actively advocating to improve their organization’s inclusion efforts, pushing significant adoption of best/innovative practices, benefiting LGBTQ+ employees and advancing their organization’s 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.
Ally Changemaker
The Ally Changemaker Outie Award recognizes an ally who has made a significant contribution to advancing LGBTQ+ workplace equality. This person is an action-oriented and intentional change maker. They are role models for others, uplifting the voices of 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.
New Employee Resource Group Chapter of the Year
The New Employee Resource Group (ERG) Chapter of the Year Outie Award recognizes a 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) and has made a bold impact at their company, federal agency, or nonprofit since launch.
Past Outie Awards Winners
| Workplace Excellence | |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Micron |
| 2022 | Dell Technologies |
| 2021 | JPMorgan Chase |
| 2020 | Dow |
| 2019 | Microsoft |
| 2018 | Sodexo |
| 2017 | Bank of America |
| 2016 | Dell Inc. |
| 2015 | The Walt Disney Company |
| 2014 | Chevron |
| 2013 | The Dow Chemical Company |
| 2012 | |
| 2011 | Accenture |
| 2010 | IBM Corporation |
| 2009 | Sun Microsystems |
| 2008 | PepsiCo |
| 2007 | Wells Fargo |
| 2006 | JPMorgan Chase |
| 2005 | Citigroup |
| 2004 | (Tie) Kaiser Permanente and Pacific Gas & Electric Company |
| 2003 | NCR Corporation |
| 2002 | American Airlines |
| 2001 | IBM |
| 2000 | Eastman Kodak Company |
| ERG of the Year | |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Spectrum – Toyota |
| 2022 | GLAD – Dow |
| 2021 | Out Front Capital One & OPEN Oracle |
| 2020 | HP |
| 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 | |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Amanda Simpson |
| 2022 | Commander Emily Shilling |
| 2021 | Dr. Shilpen Patel, Genentech |
| 2020 | Nicole Gibson, Dell |
| 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 Changemaker | |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Karla Arnaiz & Lori Leszczynski |
| 2022 | Mukesh Batra |
| 2021 | Shobha Pandey, John Deere |
| 2020 | Arne Sorenson, CEO and President, Marriott |
| 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 |