#BRLoveIsLove: What Pride Means to Us
At BR, we believe in creating clothes for all people to be out in the world. No matter who you are, how you are and how you want to present yourself, we support you. That’s why Pride is so important to us, and why we celebrate it all year long—especially this month.
“Supporting a culture of inclusivity and equality is paramount to who we are,” says Kirk, Banana Republic Senior Director of Merchandising. “With our parent company Gap Inc., we’re proud to continue our partnership with the United Nations Foundation to benefit UN Free & Equal for the fourth consecutive year to raise global awareness and acceptance.”
To get at the heart of it all, we asked a few BR employees what pride and community mean to them.
What does pride mean to you?”
“Pride means taking ownership of who you are—owning it and celebrating it, every day. My community helps me do that. There are so many people out there who are afraid to be themselves, and they need to see other people doing it.” – Chris, project manager
What messages of inclusivity do you want to pass along to your kids?”
“I want to encourage my kids to be proud of who they are and become whoever they want to be. Love is love, plain and simple.” – Mark, President & CEO
“I’ve always given my son the same message: people are different, and people are beautiful, as long as they have a beautiful heart.” – Denise, project manager
What does being part of the LGBTI community mean to you?”
“It’s an understanding of the weirdness and richness and wildness of people and how different and amazing we can be.” – Robert, project manager
“When I came out, I felt like I had to push it forward and be a bit louder about who I am. It’s not super open-minded everywhere, and I have to remember that constantly, so I want people everywhere—in places big and small—to know how important it is to be yourself. That’s what our community means to me.” – Kirk, merchandiser
Why is being an ally so important to you, and how do you do it?”
“It’s very important for me to not be a bystander. I want to be part of the solution by creating awareness that we are more the same than different, and the differences should be embraced because they bring additional perspective.” – Mary, CMO
What would you say to other people trying to find themselves and their people?”
“For people figuring themselves out, I’d say to know you’ll always find the place where you feel yourself. It will happen. Let yourself gravitate to it.” – Jeff, general manager
In today’s society, what do you think we need more of?”
“More respect. If we all realized that we’re all the same, and if society didn’t look at race, gender, sexuality, etc. as deciding factors in so many things, we’d be in a better place altogether.” – Nikole, general manager, pictured left
To show our support, we’re proud to donate 50% of our Equality Collection to the United Nations Foundation in support of the UN Free & Equal Campaign for LGBTI equality. Learn more at unfe.org, and don’t forget to show us how you celebrate Pride Month on Instagram with #BRLoveIsLove.
