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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.

Learn about the 2024 Nominees

Past Outie Awards Winners

Workplace Excellence
2023Micron
2022Dell Technologies
2021JPMorgan Chase
2020Dow
2019Microsoft
2018Sodexo
2017Bank of America
2016Dell Inc.
2015The Walt Disney Company
2014Chevron
2013The Dow Chemical Company
2012Google
2011Accenture
2010IBM Corporation
2009Sun Microsystems
2008PepsiCo
2007Wells Fargo
2006JPMorgan Chase
2005Citigroup
2004(Tie)
Kaiser Permanente and Pacific Gas & Electric Company
2003NCR Corporation
2002American Airlines
2001IBM
2000Eastman Kodak Company
ERG of the Year
2023Spectrum – Toyota
2022GLAD – Dow
2021Out Front Capital One & OPEN Oracle
2020HP
2019Out – NBC Universal
2018Cracker Barrel LGBT Alliance
2017IC Pride – US Intelligence Community
2016PRIDE Team Network – Wells Fargo
2015Open & Out, Johnson & Johnson
2014Citi PRIDE Network
2013PRIDE (Lockheed Martin) & LGBTA Business Council (Target)
2012OutServe (U.S. Department of Defense)
2011LGBT Pride Resource Group, Bank of America
2010The Clorox Company
2009(Tie) General Motor’s People Like Us & US Department of State and USAID’s Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies
2008Hewlett-Packard’s HP PRIDE
2007Nike’s GLBT & Friends Network
2006GLEAM, Mircrosoft
2005Chevron Lesbian & Gay Employee Association (CLGEA)
2004Lambda Network at Eastman Kodak Company
2003GLBC at SC Johnson
2002SEA Shell at Shell Oil, Co.
2001Pride at Walt Disney
2000LEAGUE at AT&T
LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate of the Year
2023Amanda Simpson
2022Commander Emily Shilling
2021Dr. Shilpen Patel, Genentech
2020Nicole Gibson, Dell
2019Moe Abdul-Rahim, Mercer
2014Greer Puckett (Northrop Grumman)
2012Lance Freedman, Lockheed Martin
2011Claudia Woody, IBM Corporation
2010Bill Hendrix, The Dow Chemical Company
2009Richard Clark, Accenture
2008Chris Crespo, Ernst & Young
2007Dr. Judy Lively, Kaiser Permanente
2006Emily Jones, Kodak
2005Leslie (Les) Hohman, GM PLUS
2004Robert Burrell, Ford
2003Wesley Combs, Witeck-Combs Communications
2002Dr. Louise Young, Raytheon
2001Mary Ann Horton, Avaya
2000Tom Ammiano, Leslie Katz and Susan Leal, San Francisco Supervisors
Ally Changemaker
2023Karla Arnaiz &
Lori Leszczynski
2022Mukesh Batra
2021Shobha Pandey, John Deere
2020Arne Sorenson, CEO and President, Marriott
2019Ana Helena Chacón, Former Vice President of Costa Rica
2017Ramkrishna Sinha, Intel Corporation
2016Thomas Vilsack, USDA Secretary
2015Howard Ungerleider, The Dow Chemical Company
2014Vijay Anand
2013Cathy Bessant, Bank of America
2012Harry van Dorenmalen, IBM
2011Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox
2010Mark Bertolini, Aetna Healthcare
2009Randy Kammer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
2008William C. Thompson, Jr., City of New York
2007Ana Duarte McCarthy, Citi
2006Deborah Dagit, Merck
2005June R. Cohen, DuPont
2004Laura Brooks, Eastman Kodak
2003Judy Boyette, University of California
2002William Perez, CEO of SC Johnson & Son
2001Cathy Brill & Lisa Vitale, Kodak
2000Ethel Batten, Lucent Technologies

New ERG Chapter of the Year
2023MH+ PRIDE – Middlesex Health
2022Medtronic PRIDE Global Network
2021Boeing Employees with Transgender Family Members
2020JP Morgan Chase Poland Chapter
2019Bank of America LGBT+ Pride India Chapter

Previous Awards

Global LGBTQ+ Corporate Advocate
2023Abhinav Shikhar
2022Javier Constante
2021Luiz Felipe Centeno Ferraz
Belonging & Equity Visionary
2022Indeed
2021Bank of America
Global Workplace Excellence
2022Northern Trust India
LGBTQ+ Marketing of the Year
2020Procter & Gamble
Belonging During COVID
2020John Deere Rainbow ERG