Working from Home Won’t Stop Allstate As They Celebrate Pride Month

Allstate Northern Ireland have been busy celebrating pride month this June, with employees taking part in a range of exciting online events. The month was kicked off with a captivating seminar from James McGoldrick, who opened lots of minds while teaching about the history of ‘Queer Flags & Identities’.

Monday 28 June 2021

Working from Home Won’t Stop Allstate As They Celebrate Pride Month

Allstate Northern Ireland have been busy celebrating pride month this June, with employees taking part in a range of exciting online events. The month was kicked off with a captivating seminar from James McGoldrick, who opened lots of minds while teaching about the history of ‘Queer Flags & Identities’. From learning about Gilbert Baker, the inventor of the rainbow flag which acts as a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community all over the world, to all the other many flags symbolising each part of the community, attendees were truly enthralled by the knowledge shared.

All this new wisdom was then washed down with a cup of coffee and catch-up with some amazing charities at the ‘Coffee with Cara-Friend, The Rainbow Project and Here NI’ event. Attendees heard from Aisling Twomey from ‘The Rainbow Project’, Adam Murray from ‘Cara-Friend’ and Cara McCann from ‘Here’, three LGBTQ+ charities in NI.

Allstate NI spent the month immersed in entertainment and education, as their Embrace Employee Resource Groups members delivered their LGBTQ+ themed 5-minute presentations for the ‘PRIDEfessional Development’ event. Everyone got the chance to show off their presenting skills whilst helping others learn about inspiring topics and people like Kay Tobin Lahusen.

Both drag fans and bakers alike, got their mixing bowls out for Embrace’s ‘Drag Up Your Cake Event’. Three prizes were awarded for ‘Most Creative’, ‘The Funniest’ and ‘Most Scrumptious’, titles that were clearly well earned. But the real icing on the cake was having their creations judged by special guest host, Trudy Scrumptious.

Zoom screens at Allstate NI were bursting with colour on the 16^th, as everyone got involved in the ‘Rainbow Dress Up Contest’. With great prizes up for grabs, everyone found their most colourful and crazy outfits to show off.

The company also hosted some exciting events for Inclusive Diversity throughout the month. Allstaters were “all ears” for Autism NI’s virtual workshop, through which they received invaluable information on the fundamentals of autism and understanding the impact it has. This 5-hour workshop was split over two dates and educated employees on the main features associated with autism, as well as exploring different strategies to support individuals.

Another big hit was the ‘Advocacy for Equality’ event hosted by Women In Technology at Allstate. The 100+ audience included representatives from companies across NI such as Danske Bank, Liberty IT, Belfast City Council, Spirit Aerosystems and Invest NI. Throughout the session they delved into discussions around domestic violence, supporting LGBTQ+ employees and unconscious bias, among other important issues.

The month will come to a close with a grand finale, ‘The Virtual Parade’, where every Allstater will have the opportunity to be a part of the Queer Joy Train. This will be followed by a raffle, when every participant will have the chance to win some Allstate pride swag.

Monday 28 June 2021