June 12, 2024

Alcoa demonstrates colorful show of support for LGBTQ+ colleagues during Pride month

Alcoans around the world are celebrating Pride month, showing allyship to LGBTQ+ colleagues and and honoring our “Care for People” core value with their commitment to making Alcoa a welcoming workplace for all.

Pride month is a time to recognize the history, achievements and challenges of the LGBTQ+ community around the world. It is also a time to celebrate efforts at Alcoa to create a workplace where LGBTQ+ employees feel welcome – and to recognize the importance of those efforts to Alcoa’s future.

“Gen Z will make up 30 percent of the workforce by 2030,” said Renato Bacchi, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Sponsor of EAGLE (Employees at Alcoa for LGBTQ+ Equality). “More than 22 percent of Gen Z self-identify as LGBTQ+ in the U.S., where our headquarters are. So, our efforts are vital to making sure we can compete for – and win – the very best and brightest.”

Local chapters of the EAGLE inclusion group are organizing a variety of events to celebrate PRIDE month, from walking in Pride parades to hosting information sessions for those who want to connect and learn more about LGBTQ+ priorities. EAGLE members also will conduct leadership workshops.

The company’s efforts extend far beyond its own walls. In Brazil, for instance, a country with one of the highest murder rates for transgender people, the team at Alumar has worked with a consultant to offer a drone-piloting course for 14 transgender participants.

"To see a large company (like Alcoa) offer our city's trans community an opportunity to be recognized, with a profession that gives us dignity, is priceless," said Marcya Morais, one of the course participants in the April session of the Jornadas de Valor program.

To Tiago Betti, Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE), Pride month is one of many occasions for Alcoa to put its best foot forward.

“Studies show that LGBTQ+ employees who experience psychological safety and sense of belonging can boost productivity by 30 percent,” Betti said. “This is a time for us to reinforce that Alcoa means business when it comes to building an inclusive environment where people can be their authentic selves and therefore can do their best work.”