Pride Month History:
Each June, we celebrate Pride Month in remembrance of the Stonewall Uprising. The Stonewall Uprising was the first national gay pride parade held on June 28, 1970, to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. These riots were clashes between the members of the gay community and police officers who raided the Stonewall Inn. Since the first parade in 1970, the Pride celebration has expanded into a month-long event. The official Pride Day is the 28th of June, marking the historic first parade. As Pride has continued, the Pride flag has evolved. The original six rainbow stripes represent their meanings. First, red symbolizes life, orange is healing, yellow is sunlight, green is nature, blue means serenity, and purple embodies the spirit. Afterward, the brown and black chevron stripes were added to represent queer people of color and the lives lost during the AIDS epidemic. Lastly, the white, pink, and light blue stripes were added to represent trans and non-binary people. The stripes are in a chevron pattern to signify the importance of progress.
#PhillyPride
Clincierge is honored to be an ally with the LGBTQ+ community. Our organization is proud to be a leading LGBTQ-owned company in Philadelphia and a member of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The NGLCC promotes business development and growth, creates and fosters leadership opportunities, and increases diversity and equality for LGBTQ-owned businesses and their owners.
Born in 2015, Clincierge emerged from Gray Consulting, Inc., a corporate meetings and events company founded in 1994. Scott Gray, co-founder, and CEO, has since cultivated his small company into a staff of almost 60 full-time employees. In addition, he is the executive sponsor of the internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, where he continues to oversee educational opportunities for employees and foster an inclusive environment. Scott leads by example in supporting multiple non-profit organizations in Philadelphia and beyond, aiding programs vital to the LGBTQ community.
When asked what Pride means to him, Scott Gray said,
"Those who have worked with me know I don't shy away from challenges. In business, I've always been forthright about whom I am as a person, never hiding behind a veil. With customers, colleagues, and family, my expectation of their behavior was respectful and focused on the business, family, and life objectives. And that's what I offered in return. What I was unable to assess was what personal biases about me potential clients were asserting and how these preconceived ideas were preventing Clincierge from being a vendor. If it's a quality-of-service issue, I can accept that and work on improvements. However, if it's a personal bias because I'm different – it's unacceptable and not changeable. Small businesses' ability to become large corporations' vendors is always challenging. The Small Business Administration implemented some programs for minority-owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned businesses, but only in recent years. Not since November 2002, with the founding of the NGLCC (National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce), has there been organized advocacy for LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBE) and the adding of certified businesses as a category among other minority-owned businesses. With backing from the U.S. Federal Government, large corporations, especially those providing services to the U.S. government, must demonstrate a percentage of their annual vendor spending is done with minority-owned businesses. This requirement helps put Clincierge on a more even playing field and enables us to compete against more prominent vendors providing similar services. An added benefit comes through new client inquiries, as Clincierge can gain insights to help strengthen us as a potential diverse vendor for more clients. With the current state (or perhaps always state) of humanity, while I appreciate the need to have recognition, awareness, and support initiatives for different groups of people, I find it disappointing that such a need exists. Pride Month has me wondering - why is it needed? Why isn't there just general acceptance of each unique person? I hope Pride Month can reinforce who we each are as individuals and should always be respected; instead of others judging us by who we are, we should be judged on how we treat each other."
Celebrating Diversity
Ensuring diversity is engrained in our culture, Clincierge is dedicated to equity and inclusion. We believe our success is because of our team’s diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Diversity is key to creating innovative solutions and strategies to support clinical trial patients. While our headquarters are based in Philadelphia, we have a diverse global footprint, supporting trials in over 40 countries worldwide. Our corporate culture values inclusion because we know firsthand how the diversity of thought fuels our innovation. Clincierge is committed to creating opportunities and resources to expand the vision of an inclusive and safe workplace. This month our DEI committee is hosting a coffee talk for Pride month. Our DEI committee hosts monthly coffee talks to create a safe space to discuss global issues and incite change in our lives. While Pride month is commemorated each June, here at Clincierge, it is something we celebrate every day.
LGBTQ+ Community Support
Below is a list of several community organizations currently supporting the LGBTQ+ population.
- Trevor Project – For 24-hour support services, visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/.
- LGBT Foundation
- Pride Foundation
- GLAD Legal Advocates & Defenders
At Clincierge, we are firm believers in the idea that diversity begins at home. Therefore, we honor what makes each of us unique and we celebrate coming together as individuals in a welcoming environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Click here to view our open positions and contribute to our diverse organization.
