LGBTQ Pride Month 2023
Each June, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) communities celebrate Pride Month. Major cities worldwide celebrate Pride Month each year with parades, rallies, festivals, and community events.
The celebration was started in 1999 as a way to honor those who participated in the Stonewall Riots in June of 1969. These demonstrations took place over the span of a week as a result of a violent police raid on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, on June 28. Many consider these riots to be one of the significant turning points in the gay liberation movement.
Before this uprising, society viewed LGBTQ individuals as criminals and ordinary events like gathering at local bars were deemed illegal. Since the riots, legislation has undergone multiple changes, and those identifying as LGBTQ continue to work toward greater acceptance and equality.
Celebrating #PhillyPride at Clincierge
Our President and CEO, Scott Gray, founded Clincierge in 1994 as Gray Consulting, Inc. with just one business partner. He has since cultivated his small company into a staff of almost 70 full-time employees in the United States, with coordinators supporting more than 40 countries around the world.
Clincierge is proud to be an LGBTQ-owned company with headquarters in Philadelphia. We are a member of the Independence Business Alliance, a local Chamber of Commerce built around:
- Promoting business development and growth
- Creating and fostering leadership opportunities
- Increasing diversity and equality for LGBTQ-owned businesses and their owner
Clincierge as a Diverse Industry Supplier
Clincierge is a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). This organization is the largest advocacy group in the LGBT space and:
- Is dedicated to increasing economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT individuals
- Acts as the exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned business
In addition, Scott is the executive sponsor of the internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Clincierge. In this role, he oversees educational opportunities for employees and fosters an environment of inclusion and acceptance.
“Helping to provide that for others, so they can become who they dream of being is what drives my passion for much of what I do in my life.
The question I ask myself is, “What can I do, from sharing knowledge to leading fundraising to being a donor, which will enable someone to have a life-altering opportunity?”
– Scott Gray, Founder and CEO of Clincierge
Scott feels extremely fortunate to have grown up in a loving and supportive home environment, one that offered necessary items like food, housing, clothing, and education and encouraged him to learn. This stability instilled in Scott a confidence to be who he is without apology, and it is this trait he hopes to share with others who may be less fortunate.
Get Involved in #PrideMonth
There are many ways to get involved in Pride Month 2023, both in the Greater Philadelphia area as well as around the world.
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.
