New LGBTQ+ Tech Community Includes BoA, HP, PayPal

The world’s biggest community of LGBTQ+ tech professionals, Out in Tech, has formed a membership program to improve opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals called Qorporate, according to a press release.

Founding members include Bank of America, Automattic, Snap, HP and PayPal.

“Finding, hiring and retaining women, people of color and LGBTQ+ people – especially tech talent – is one of the biggest human resources challenges facing companies today,” the release said. “While most large tech companies have established diversity and inclusion programs, technology startups often lack the scale at which diversity initiatives are a priority or employee resource groups can be formed.”

Andrew Lowenthal, executive director of Out in Tech, said diversity has been an issue in the tech space.

“Diversity in tech is one code the industry has been slow to crack,” Lowenthal said. “By harnessing the collective experiences of member companies and our community of more than 25,000 LGBTQ+ techies around the world, we can advance the tech sector and create more equitable and inclusive workplaces for all underrepresented groups. When companies have the tools to empower all employees, progress happens.”

Qorporate will help to create resources for companies of all sizes. It will handle topics like creating employee resource groups, employing data-driven HR practices that support inclusion and creating cultures of belonging.

“Inclusion is both a moral imperative and a business necessity. Diverse teams, sustained by an inclusive culture, foster innovation and lead to better performance,” said Dan Schulman, president and CEO of PayPal. “PayPal is proud to support Out in Tech, and we hope that companies everywhere will continue to take part in opportunities like Qorporate to create more welcoming and diverse workplaces for us all.”

Lesley Slaton Brown, the chief diversity officer at HP, shared a similar sentiment.

“When we understand someone’s journey, it gives us empathy for them as an individual. And when someone trusts that they can share their story, be who they are and be accepted, they can fully bring themselves to work,” Brown said. “By helping to launch Qorporate, Out in Tech’s corporate council, and encouraging everyone to be who they truly are, we’re poised to truly support LGBTQ+ employees around the world.”

Out in Tech, which was founded in 2013, said Qorporate members will look toward the future and how it can be more diverse.

“Employees of Qorporate member companies will receive access to a proprietary global digital community of LGBTQ+ tech employees to foster belonging for remote employees or those for whom membership in physical communities is not possible,” the release said. “In addition, a job board will connect LGBTQ+ candidates with job listings from Qorporate member companies that are actively seeking to build a stronger pipeline of diversity for the future.”