Celebrating Pride 365

 

This June, as part of our continued allyship of the LGBTQIA+ community, Nordstrom is celebrating Pride month. At Nordstrom, our values are centered on creating a place where every customer and employee is welcome, respected, appreciated and able to be their authentic selves.

“We invite our customers, employees and brand partners to celebrate Pride with us and amplify LGBTQIA+ voices this month and all year-round,” said Farrell Redwine, chief human resources officer at Nordstrom. “From our employee benefits to our gender-inclusive products, we’ve long believed in the value of diversity and have taken actions to drive positive change. While we’re proud of the progress we’ve made, we know our work is never finished.”

This year’s Pride celebration matters even more to our employees and customers. Earlier this year, we’ve witnessed efforts to undermine protections, support for and the identity of LGBTQIA+ youth that go against our values. That’s why we felt it was important to sign onto a statement from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), joining other businesses in affirming support for the LGBTQIA+ community, and renew our annual contribution to the organization. We’ve also donated to organizations like Lambda Legal and Equality Florida, aiding youth and families on the ground in places where they need our support the most.

Our Pride 2022 campaign features Playground Kiki, a Seattle-based LGBTQ2S+ organization founded to build community for BIPOC youth and grow the Pacific Northwest ballroom scene. Check out talented members of Playground Kiki bringing Nordstrom looks to life in the video below:

“Being Black, Femme and Queer makes me proud. I'm able to show up as my full self and be unapologetic about it. Ballroom helped me become comfortable with myself 24/7,” said Keelan Johnson (he/she/they), Nordstrom Digital Production Artist in Creative who also goes by the ballroom name Android 007.

In honor of Pride, we are continuing to donate to organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, spotlighting brands that give back, sponsoring celebrations and more.

Giving Back: Corporate Donations to Support the LGBTQIA+ Community
Over the past several years, we’ve worked to strengthen our ongoing partnerships with organizations that provide support and resources for the LGBTQIA+ community, with a focus on youth. In 2021, we contributed nearly $1 million to support the work of these organizations. We aim to sustain that momentum, not just during Pride month, but also through the more difficult moments our customers, employees, and communities are faced with today.

This year, we’re grateful to give back to non-profit organizations who provide meaningful support for the community, including:

• The Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) serves LGBTQIA+ youth between the ages of 13 and 24 years old with homeless youth services, job training, HIV testing and connection to care, academic enrichment and more. In addition to our $200,000 donation, throughout June and July, we invite customers to add $1 or $5 to their Nordstrom.com purchases that will go directly towards helping HMI provide these services. HMI’s “A Portrait of Kiki” exhibit will be showcased at our Center Stage at Nordstrom NYC in June, and you can view the interactive virtual exhibit as well.
• Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans through direct service, material support, advocacy, and education. Trans Lifeline is the giveback partner for our BP. Be Proud brand with 10% of net sales (up to $250,000 in 2022), as well as the recipient of a corporate donation of $100,000, being directed towards a peer support and crisis hotline and providing financial resources directly to transgender people across the U.S. and Canada.
• Human Rights Campaign (HRC) works to ensure that all LGBTQ+ people, and particularly those who are trans, people of color and HIV+, are treated as full and equal citizens within our movement, across our country and around the world. Our annual $135,000 contribution to HRC supports the organization's advocacy on behalf of the community.

In addition to our core Pride giveback partners, we give back to local organizations that support the community, including POCAAN, a multicultural, multi-social service agency that addresses disparities in marginalized communities in Seattle and greater King County through health services and programs, and The Ali Forney Center, which is dedicated to protecting LGBTQIA+ youth from homelessness and empowering them with the tools needed to live independently.

Supporting and Celebrating Our LGBTQIA+ Employees
Nordstrom is a better place when our employees can bring their whole selves to work, and a diverse workforce creates a better environment for everyone. We support and celebrate all of our employees, including those who are members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.

This month and year-round we are supporting our employees through:

• Sponsoring more than 35 Pride festivals and parades across the U.S. and Canada
• Promoting inclusiveness and creating support for all LGBTQIA+ employees through NordstromPLUS, one of our eight Employee Resource Groups
• Offering life partner benefits since 1998 and covering gender confirmation services aligned to World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards of care for more than a decade
• Creating relationships with queer-identifying clubs at school campuses to attract talent through the internships and entry level positions offered in our Early in Career program
• Partnering with Out in Tech, the world’s largest non-profit community for LGBTQIA+ tech leaders, to help us create a safe space and sense of belonging for our employees
• Creating a robust inclusive styling and selling training program focused on gender expression with the support of WILDFANG, to educate our employees and equip them with the tools and information they need to best serve our customers
• Earning 100% rating on HRC's Corporate Equality Index since 2005 and being designated a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality”

Shop Your Values: BP. Be Proud and Brands that Give Back to the LGBTQIA+ Community

We recognize that shopping is an important way to give back in support of causes and values that align with our own. We seek out brands that share the values of Nordstrom and our customers and make these brands easily accessible for our customers to shop through our advanced search and product categories.

BP. Be Proud features a range of silhouettes for people of all gender expressions. The lead designer for this collection is queer and we engaged different members from the LGBTQIA+ community to provide insight on what they see as missing from the current apparel landscape. Sizes range from XXS – 4X and prices range from $25 - $59.

Throughout June, we will highlight brands that are backing up their beliefs with actions in support of the LGBTQIA+ Community. We have launched a shopping hub to spotlight brands we carry including Vans, The Phluid Project, Kiehl's, Coach, Little Words Project, Our Place, TOMS, and P448. Customers can shop these brands by visiting the Nordstrom.com Pride month brands product category and by visiting Center Stage at Nordstrom NYC.

Additionally, on June 23, customers are invited to attend The Influence of Fashion and Beauty on the Kiki Scene (and Vice-Versa) event both in-store at Nordstrom NYC and via livestream at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET. RSVP at nordstromrsvp.com/nlive.

Stay tuned throughout the month to see how we’re celebrating and visit Nordstrom.com/diversity for more information.