Nowhere are LGBT rights more visible around the world than during a gay pride event.

As businesses have evolved to become more LGBT-inclusive, many have demonstrated their support of gay prides by marching in parades or sponsoring events.

Banking giant Barclays, with its LGBT employee network group Spectrum, has taken its corporate social responsibility to new heights of diversity and inclusion.

Barclays considers itself as a company of firsts, from the first financial corporation to participate in Manchester Pride to being one of the first retail banks to include a same-sex couple in a nationally broadcast television advert.

Gay Star News spoke with key executives within Barclays to learn what the bank’s employees are doing to support gay pride activities around the globe, and what gay pride means to them on a personal level.

James Pearse, Spectrum member and regional leader for UK Northwest, remembers hearing murmurs of surprise when the Barclays motorized float appeared in the Manchester Pride parade.

‘You’re close enough to the crowd to hear what they’re saying. It was quite a surprise for people the first time Barclays participated in such an event. But I’ve never seen anyone perceive it negatively.

‘The parade attracts a variety of people from different backgrounds. They all seem very happy and pleased. We’ve inspired others in participating,’ Pearse said.

Barclays was the first financial organization to participate in Manchester Pride. Now in its 10th consecutive year as a pride collaborator, Barclays continues to arrive in style on its float, and maintains a presence on the ground with a stall.

Pearse has also headed Barclays’ participation in Liverpool Pride for the past three years and the Spectrum team are looking forward to taking part again this Saturday (3 August) with a float and walking entry in the theme of Superheroes.

Pearse simply thinks it’s vital to be seen:

‘It’s important because it ensures that people are aware that Barclays is open to diversity. As an equal opportunity employer, it’s making a statement.

‘Barclays is there for everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, disability, cultural background, or religion.’

For as much as Barclays has accomplished in terms of LGBT-inclusion, Pearse also recognizes there is always more to be done.

When asked if there’s any more work he would like to do as a Spectrum leader, he pointed to LGBT mentoring.

Mark McLane, global head of diversity and inclusion for Barclays, also sees the road to success as a ‘continual journey to improvement’.

‘I think there’s still a lot of opportunity to improve,’ McLane told GSN.

McLane’s role is to bring together all of Barclays’ diversity initiatives, not just LGBT, and set a strategy globally.

‘There’s opportunity to ensure individuals who identify as having a disability have a level playing field. We are also focused on continuing to improve the representation of women’s at senior levels, and making a positive impact on the LGBT community globally, as examples of our strategic approach.’

Diversity goes across the board – Barclays has implemented technology for disabled people including talking ATM machines and mobile banking applications. But the bank has also been using ATM machines to post messages promoting gay pride.

‘For me personally, I’d love to see pride to continue to advance and evolve,’ said McLane.

‘We’re in a very different place today, than we were 10, 20, or 25 years ago, and pride should continue to keep pace with where we are as a community and culture, and continue to drive a positive message that we have come a long way and we have a long way to go.’

While some countries, like the US and the UK, have a long history with gay pride, others like Singapore are only just now publicly embracing the LGBT community.

Michael Wollensak, who is the Spectrum co-chair in Singapore, is responsible for coordinating with the blooming LGBT rights movement in the country including LGBT rights organization and pride day, Pink Dot.

Wollensak told GSN: ‘There’s no parade in Pink Dot; it’s not done necessarily just for pride but it’s more a movement to gain acceptance. They’re bringing community groups to come together. It’s really a powerful place to be. When you look at the pictures, it reminds me of what pride was maybe earlier in its history.

‘Pink Dot is just one facet of our work in Singapore. We’ve also been involved with Oogachaga, an LGBT social services organization that works in face-to-face counselling.

‘We also sponsor other groups, like the Mature Men’s Project for men over 40. We are trying to hit every subset of the population.’

For Wollensak, Spectrum is also significant on a personal level, as the group facilitated his transition as a gay man into a new work environment in a foreign country.

‘I feel weird, this is a new experience working for a company that is so inclusive that says: “just be who you are.” It’s quite empowering. It feels good to be accepted that way. It’s not implied, it’s spoken, it’s in the policies, it’s in the company’s DNA.

‘It’s amazing to be able to work with people in Spectrum, whether they be local gay Singaporeans, or foreigners, or straight Spectrum allies… Barclays is completely inclusive.’

Barclays seeks not only to commit to its five pillars of diversity, but also to make sure they interact with each other. Wollensak spoke about their work in Singapore trying to serve the lesbian community a little bit better.

‘Barclays is part of an inter-bank network where often times there’s a much bigger population of gay men than there are lesbians. We’re in discussions with Oogachaga women and Barclays Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) to try and make sure women’s issues are served.’

As a woman working both in Barclays and Spectrum UK, Natalie O’Donnell feels right at home. She is the Midlands’ regional lead and most recently led a team for Birmingham Pride in the UK.

‘My favorite thing about Spectrum is we all feel as though we are part of a family in Barclays,’ she said. ‘You see people who had struggled being themselves at work, but after joining Spectrum they grow in confidence thanks to the safe environment.

‘Supporting individuals through things like the Spectrum employee network is the right thing to do – it makes you proud to work for Barclays.’

Since gay pride means so much to different people, GSN asked each of the people we had chatted with to share their most memorable pride experience:

O’Donnell: ‘My first pride was Manchester, and it was mental. I remember it being really cultural, everyone looked really happy. I remember going to Canal Street… it was mind blowing, colors everywhere, lots of people, but never any bad stuff, it was all really positive. I felt very much enlightened in a really positive way, like putting glasses on when you haven’t been able to see.’

Wollensak: ‘I’m from Chicago, where I used to sing in the Windy City Gay Chorus. For one pride I actually marched, and we had purple shirts and I had to carry this staff with sequins. It was a lot of fun. It’s certainly my most memorable. It was really exciting.’

McLane: ‘My first pride was when I was in my 20s, in the New York’s Village, and it was really the first opportunity I had to feel like I was part of a bigger and broader community than I ever felt growing up in Pennsylvania. It was a really positive experience.’

Pearse: ‘I’ve been to prides in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. Manchester is definitely my favorite. London is the big one, but Manchester has an edginess to it in terms of the atmosphere, that trumps every one I’ve been to.’

This article was sponsored by Barclays.