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How Citi is Changing the Future Together on Inclusion and Equality for LGBTQ+ Community

By Clare Eastburn / Ashish Sethi, Citi Pride Co-Champions April 20, 2022 10:30 AM

This weekend in Tokyo, Citi will be participating in Tokyo Rainbow Pride, the biggest annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in Japan. This year the celebrations will be taking place both virtually and, for the first time since 2019, with an in-person parade through the streets of Tokyo. LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies from Citi will join together to participate in the event, partnering with LGBT Finance as a sponsor, and supporting the Tokyo Rainbow Pride 2022 theme of “Change the Future Together”.

At Citi Pride in Japan, we are proud of the work we do. As Co-Champions of the Japan Pride Pillar – an out bisexual woman and a strong male ally - we know how important it is for people to be able to be their authentic selves in the workplace. We recognise that when people can be themselves, they simply perform better. We were delighted to be awarded the highest level Gold Certification in the Work With Pride 2021 survey for the fifth consecutive year. This survey robustly assesses our performance as an inclusive organisation. We were also a recipient of the inaugural Rainbow Certificate, reflecting the impact of our initiatives beyond our Citi walls.

Tokyo Rainbow Pride provides an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQ+ and ally community. It also gives us pause to recognise the ongoing challenges facing LGBTQ+ people and think about how we can take action for a future which allows equality for all. In Japan, significant challenges remain. For example, Japan is still the only G7 country where there is no form of national recognition for same-sex partnerships.

Citi has a proud history of supporting LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. We supported the Business for Marriage Equality campaign in 2021. Standing up for the rights of our LGBTQ+ colleagues, their families, our clients and communities is an important aspect of Citi’s culture. Internally, Citi’s benefits, which apply equally and are inclusive of LGBTQ+ partners, give our employees the right to define their family, providing assurance that Citi will support them in times of need and while planning for their own futures.

And so, this weekend, we will be celebrating Tokyo Rainbow Pride, wearing our Citi Logo t-shirts and waving our Citi rainbow fans. We will be cheering gratefully for those who paved the way before us and hoping for a future where everyone can feel safe, comfortable and confident to be their whole self every single day.