How Colgate Palmolive Supports the LGBTQIA+ Community
June 2024
At Colgate-Palmolive, we are committed to reimagining a healthier future for all people. Supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and empowering our employees to be their authentic selves is one way we turn this vision into a reality.
Here are some of the ways we’re taking action during Pride Month and year-round:
Facilitating a safe and inclusive workplace
We are dedicated to creating an environment where all people feel like they belong: that means we foster an environment that encourages employes to be their authentic selves.
In 2023-2024, Colgate-Palmolive was a recipient of the Human Rights Campaign's “Equality 100 Award: Leaders in LGBTQ+ Inclusion”. And, for seven consecutive years, Colgate-Palmolive has earned a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index, which measures employer LGBTQIA+-inclusive policies, practices and benefits.
Colgate supports domestic partner benefits as a core principle globally and has provided the benefits for over 20 years, prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and offers comprehensive healthcare benefits for trans employees.
In Mexico, the Company was also recognized by HRC Foundation’s Equidad MX as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ+ Equality.
This year, DiversityComm listed Colgate-Palmolive as one of their 2024 Top LGBTQ+ Friendly Companies, an achievement we are incredibly proud of.
Supporting LGBTQIA+ employeees
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are key drivers in helping us build an inclusive organization where all Colgate People feel they can be their authentic selves. Our ERGs celebrate individual and collective diversity, contribute to employees’ personal and professional development, and offer opportunities for connection.
Colgate has nine active LGBTQIA+ ERG chapters globally, with our latest chapter launching in India in 2023. India and Europe/Eurasia, as well as at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. These ERGs facilitate belonging and allyship by creating a space for members to come together as a community, hosting guest speakers through live events and digital programming, celebrating key milestones, exploring how to be an ally, and honoring flagship events such as Pride, National Coming Out Day and World AIDS Day.
Hear from Umberto Palanza, Omni-Shopper Marketing Manager for Home Care Italia, who leads our "Smile with Pride" Europe/Africa Eurasia Employee Resource Group (ERG). Umberto shares the story of the ERG and how it supports the LGBTQIA+ community at Colgate-Palmolive in that region.
Amplifying our impact beyond
Colgate has a long history of taking action to support the LGBTQIA+ community. We are proud to have signed the amicus brief in 2015 petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize constitutional marriage equality. Building on our years-long participation in pride parades around the world, this year we are excited to once again sponsor the Pride Parade in our hometown, New York City.
As we continually strive to be an ally for positive change, Colgate supports many organizations that share our commitment to enriching LGBTQIA+ communities.
Colgate has a long history of taking action to support the LGBTQIA+ community. We are proud to have signed the amicus brief in 2015 petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize constitutional marriage equality. Building on our years-long participation in pride parades around the world, this year we are excited to once again sponsor the Pride Parade in our hometown, New York City.
As we continually strive to be an ally for positive change, Colgate supports many organizations that share our commitment to enriching LGBTQIA+ communities.
Colgate is an active supporter of Live Out Loud, a non-profit organization that provides LGBTQIA+ youth in the U.S. with resources, role models, and opportunities that help them discover their voice and become leaders of change. This year, Colgate was honored with the organization’s Corporate Leadership Award during their annual Trailblazers Gala. The event also celebrated their youth scholarship winners and community leaders.
We also support the Ali Forney Center, which aims to protect LGBTQIA+ youth in the U.S. from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.
Colgate also has national and local memberships with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which is the largest advocacy organization dedicated to advancing business opportunities for LGBTQIA+ people.
These are just a few of the incredible organizations we are proud to partner with. To extend our impact even further, Colgate offers a matching gift program for U.S.-based full time employees, which empowers Colgate People to maximize their donations with a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $8,000 a year per employee, to a wide range of nonprofits that reflect our company’s purpose to reimagine a healthier future for all – including organizations that support the health and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Celebrating Pride Parades
Colgate has long supported Pride parades around the globe and this year, Colgate People proudly displayed their best Colgate smile in New York, Australia, Italy, Greece, Spain, Germany and so many more countries around the globe.
On June 28th, CP Brazil celebrated International LGBTQIAPN+ Pride Day. This date commemorates the 1969 Stonewall protests, a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQIAPN+ rights, promoting equity, respect, and love. At Colgate-Palmolive, we value diversity and inclusion as pillars of our success. Celebrating Pride is about honoring the past and building a future that values differences.
CP Brazil has been recognized as one of the Best Companies for LGBTQIAPN+ People to Work For by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This recognition, received on June 19 at the Divers/a Fair, is a testament to our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The Power of WE
All of these efforts are energized by Colgate People, who all work to create meaningful impact. Through the power of WE, Colgate-Palmolive is empowering a brighter future for LGTBQIA+ employees and allies within our company and the communities where we live, work and serve. To learn more about how we are reimagining a healthier future for all and creating a culture of belonging, check out our latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report and follow us on LinkedIn.
