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Why We’re Celebrating Pride Month

ACT
June 15, 2018

ACT is a leader in our community and in the world of measurement and learning. Our brand is based on trust: Trust in our quality and trust in our service. We care, about our community and our customers.

I am proud of ACT for actively supporting Pride Month because it shows our team members and those we serve around the world that we care about them and about nurturing a culture of openness, inclusion, trust, and respect. At ACT, we want everyone to feel included, heard, understood and supported.

I know that in our community and world there remains explicit and implicit bias against LGBTQ+ youth and adults. From my work on the school board in the Iowa City Community School District I have seen school climate survey results that showed LGBTQ+ youth were significantly less likely to report that they felt they belonged in school, that school staff supported them, and that their contributions were valuable. These findings were unacceptable to the school board and district staff, and our school board passed a resolution of support for LGBTQ+ youth so that there could be no misunderstanding about the school board’s intention of nurturing an open, inclusive environment in line with the school district’s values and goals.

I was proud of the school board’s initiative, and I was incredibly proud to see ACT raise the Pride flag at our national headquarters on June 11. Speaking to a long-time colleague at the flag raising event, we reflected that this kind of overt support had been a long time coming, and something neither of us were sure we’d ever see. But we did see it, and the flag is waving proudly!



Even with these gains of support, I’m not naïve enough to believe that passing a resolution or flying a flag will, by themselves, yield lasting change. They are incredibly important steps, but acceptance can take time, persistence, self-examination, humility, and an openness to learning about and appreciating all of our differences. I am optimistic that ACT’s Pride Week events will help grow that awareness and understanding and forge a deeper appreciation for each of our individual stories.



I hope that all of you will take part in some of the opportunities that Pride Month brings in your communities. And for those in the Iowa City area, join me in the Iowa City Pride Parade this Saturday, June 16 to show your support for ACT team members and our community. It’s going to be a blast!


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