Let’s celebrate Pride Month: discover the initiatives of the Politecnico ecosystem

In the rankings drawn up every year by Ilga Europe, the international organisation that acts as a connector between the different bodies that deal with LGBTQI+ rights, Italy is positioned in 35th place among European countries for attention to rainbow rights on the RainbowMap 2024. Not much else is needed to show how long the road ahead in our country still is, and why we need to remind ourselves every year of how essential are the values of inclusion and diversity.

That's why we want to celebrate Pride Month, why we need rainbow flags, and to talk about it within companies. They are all powerful calls for active efforts to create a more just and welcoming society, where every person can be themselves without fear of discrimination or violence.

Pride lasts all year round

But pride does not end with the conclusion of the various initiatives in June. Businesses and the world of management education play a key role in promoting inclusion and respect for people's rights.

Companies and schools must take into account that workers and young talents increasingly appreciate those organisations that are committed to creating a work environment where diversity and inclusion, knowledge and awareness are the watchwords.

Why is June Pride Month?

The date to remember is the night between 27 and 28 June 1968, 55 years ago, when – as was often the case in the United States – a group of police officers, only one of whom was in uniform, broke into a gay bar in Greenwich Village in New York City, the Stonewall Inn. It was only the latest in a series of episodes of this kind, because raids like this were particularly frequent in major American cities. This time, however, a transsexual woman, Sylvia Rivera, apparently started the protests by throwing a bottle at a police officer. It was the beginning of a series of violent clashes with the police throughout the city. The Stonewall Uprising marked the birth of the modern gay movement around the world, and this is why June is Pride Month. 

All the Politecnico ecosystem’s initiatives for Pride

As every year, the entire Politecnico ecosystem is organising Pride Week, a week of initiatives that will take place from 24 to 29 June which aim to stimulate debate and promote a culture of inclusion. Many topics will be covered, including, for example, LGBTQI+ For Inclusion: employers' policies (reserved for students) and affective and sexual fluidity in the new generations. The complete programme of initiatives can be found at the following link: LGBTI+ - polimi.