Pride Campaign Landing
Welcome to Microsoft Unlocked – the Pride edition
Every month at Microsoft Unlocked, we celebrate stories from the heart and soul of innovation. Our inaugural edition is all about Pride. Brought together by LGBTQIA+ employees and allies, it’s an open invitation for everyone to join in.
This fight is our collective fight.
It knows no boundaries and no borders.
Our employees’ stories prove there’s no town too small or village too remote for Pride. Though some may try to confine or legislate against LGBTQIA+ communities, Microsoft employees invite everyone to join in the actions and calls for justice and equity across all borders – be they geographical, societal or ideological.
ReadLast June fans asked us to release an Xbox controller for Pride. Here’s what happened next…
ExploreQueer representation matters,
visibility matters
Our Pride collection is celebrating the nuance, intersectionality and strength of LGBTQIA+ communities by bringing together over 30 community flags in fine, interwoven and energetic designs. To honor this release, we’re donating a total of $170,000 to nonprofits that advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights around the world.
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Show your Pride
SurfaceBreak the boundaries with the limited-edition Skin, celebrating many LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Immerse in Pride
WindowsBridge borders with new Windows wallpapers inspired by the flags of LGBTQIA+ communities.
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Play with Pride
XboxExplore the new Xbox Design Lab controller, curated games, community stories, nonprofit partnerships and more – all created by and with LGBTQIA+ communities.
“So many borders are imposed to separate us. To divide us from where we come from, who we are and how we see ourselves…to be accepted there is not only one way to be.”
ReadCreate a welcoming space by choosing from 36 evocative 3D backgrounds for your video calls inspired by the flags of LGBTQIA+ communities.
Download
Hear from activists, gamers and advocates about intersectionality, representation and how we can bridge borders and bring about collective change in an immersive “Pride has no borders” Microsoft Pride event on 10AM-12PM Pacific time, June 17th – hosted in AltSpaceVR and streaming live on YouTube.
RSVP-
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Join in VR
Join in the most immersive way – right in VR. Download AltSpaceVR app for your device and enter.
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Join in 2D
No headset? No problem. Enjoy a 2D experience. Download AltSpaceVR app for Windows or Mac, learn controls and enter.
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Watch livestream
Want to watch the show, but not be in the show? We have that option, too. Just tune in to our livestream on YouTube.
“Around the globe, women are still seen and treated as less – and we often bear the brunt of society’s expectations. Women are powerful – and when we thrive, everyone thrives.”
Read$8M and counting
Together with our employees, Microsoft has donated over $8M+ to organizations that support LGBTQIA+ communities in the last year alone. To recognize the launch of our 2022 Pride campaign and products, we’re additionally contributing a total of $170,000 to OutRight Action International, African Rainbow Family, National Center for Transgender Equality, Mermaids, Lavender Project and Fulcrum UA to help in the fight for LGBTQIA+ equity and equality.
Inequality doesn’t respect borders. So we drive to LGBTQIA+ inclusion and equity around the world, both through our own internal policies as well as external advocacy efforts
Standing up for LGBTQIA+ equity since 1989
This Pride, LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft are illuminating the interconnected nature of the challenges we face – and calling for a unified global response across all borders, both real and perceived.
Developed with the global LGBTQIA+ employees and allies across Microsoft, our campaign celebrates the nuance, vibrancy and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities – and how closely they’re connected. Thirty-three flags representing different LGBTQIA+ identities, one Ally flag and one Polyamory flag make up this year’s designs. We hope they remind you that by coming together across groups and bridging borders, we can create change for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond.
Our work doesn’t start or stop with Pride. Microsoft introduced sexual orientation into our non-discrimination policies in 1989 – and we’ve been driving LGBTQIA+ inclusion ever since.
In 1993, we began offering employee benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, making us one of the first companies in the world to do so. We stood as a public supporter for marriage equality even before it became legal in the United States – and we continue to advocate for every type of family.
Today, we operate in over 120 countries, many of which still don’t provide legal protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals. By supporting our employees through global advocacy, charitable giving and better workplace practices, we’re hoping to make a difference for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond, as our drive for positive global impact continues.
Sneak Preview
Stories from the heart & soul of innovation coming soon on Microsoft Unlocked.
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Up next on Unlocked
July 2022From accessibility to sustainability, culture to science and radical tech to trending topics—there will be more to explore. Bookmark this page and visit us again in July for more Unlocked content.
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Can an alphabet save a culture?
Access For AllA new alphabet for an ancient people promises to preserve their culture and connect their community.
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TECHNOECHOPHENOMENA
It’s HappeningTechnology echoes human expression
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To the MAX
It’s HappeningExplore the maximal collections behind the founder of minimalism.
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An anthem of hope
Access For AllWith assistive technology, injured veterans reconnect with the music war took away.
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Rebuilding blocks
Changing the GameMinecraft changed video games forever. Can it democratize how we design urban spaces?
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The People Beneath the Waves
For Life On EarthTheir world is a mirror of our world. What happens to them happens to us.
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Water works
For Life on EarthCalifornia’s water is disappearing. How can smarter design help turn the tide?
Up next on Unlocked
July 2022From accessibility to sustainability, culture to science and radical tech to trending topics—there will be more to explore. Bookmark this page and visit us again in July for more Unlocked content.
Can an alphabet save a culture?
Access For AllA new alphabet for an ancient people promises to preserve their culture and connect their community.
To the MAX
It’s HappeningExplore the maximal collections behind the founder of minimalism.
Rebuilding blocks
Changing the GameMinecraft changed video games forever. Can it democratize how we design urban spaces?
Water works
For Life on EarthCalifornia’s water is disappearing. How can smarter design help turn the tide?
Our lawyers would like us to share these things with you
“Show your Pride” is available in the following apps.
iOS: Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Office, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Android: Outlook and Teams Mac: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. In Outlook, you can find the Pride themes in Settings > Appearance. In all other apps, you can find Pride theme in Settings.
Progress Pride Flag ©quasar.digital LLC 2022. Polyamory Pride Flag by Molly Colleen Bennett Wilvich, CC BY-SA 4.0.