Why Is Pride Month Important to Us?

June marks Pride Month, which focuses on acceptance, equality and celebrating LGBTQ+ people. It’s a reminder that the LGBTQ+ community exists in all walks of life and that difference should be celebrated.

Inclusion isn’t just for one month, but Pride Month puts a spotlight on the community. It allows LGBTQ+ people and allies of the community to not only celebrate inclusion, but also reflect on its history, raise awareness on issues faced by the community and educate on LGBTQ+ topics.

As a team, it’s vital that everyone feels welcome and safe at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth and can be their true selves.

More widely, we want F1 to be an environment that is for everyone – whether you want to be an engineer, a designer, a wind tunnel operator or a driver. It’s not just about making our current team members feel valued and authentic at work; Pride Month is an opportunity to show members of the external community that working in F1 is possible whatever your background. Inspiring the next generation of team employees.

“The LGBTQ+ community is under-represented in our industry,” says Hiran Odedra, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. “We continuously strive towards creating and maintaining a culture of inclusion all day, every day.

The Pride Star is once again featuring prominently throughout June, as a symbol of our commitment to supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and raising awareness for what Pride Month is all about.

Internally, a big focus for our team throughout June has been on education and allyship. Informing our team members of LGBTQ+ history and the challenges that the community face, while also promoting what it takes to be a good ally - how best they can support LGBTQ+ people and ensure members of the community can live their lives freely and openly.

We had the pleasure of hosting a workshop with Racing Pride, aiming to share LGBTQ+ experiences in the industry, the importance of Pride and tips on being the best ally possible. We also held a Film Night in our Brackley factory for team members, screening an LGBTQ+ film.

These are just a few of our internal Pride Month activities, all helped and guided by our freshly formed LGBTQ+ forum, which provides team members from the community with a place to voice questions, issues and ideas. It’s also an area where allies can show their support and provide feedback too.

Hiran adds: “Supporting the LGBTQ+ community both within the team and externally hopefully showcases how people from all backgrounds are welcomed into our Team and valued for their individual contribution.”

Everyone is different, but we’re all equal. And our differences are what make us stronger. That’s something to embrace and celebrate.