Every June, we celebrate Pride Month and the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals in recognition of the importance of inclusion and diversity in our stores and communities. With more than 11 million people in the United States who identify as LGBTQ+, this commitment is more important than ever before.
The History
This year marks the 51st anniversary of Pride, which began with pride and protest marches held in New York City on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. By some estimates, there were around 3,000 to 5,000 marchers at the very first Pride, whereas today there are millions who participate in the New York City Pride event alone. While Pride events play a key role in raising the profile of the community and commemorating the history of the LGBTQ+ equality movement, Pride also marks an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate in a festive, affirming atmosphere.
Our Commitment
JCPenney believes in building a richly diverse team, in which our differences, ideas, and perspectives are embraced to better serve each other and our customers in an inclusive environment where associates feel valued and respected at all times – whether during Pride Month or any other day of the year.
Furthering our commitment to the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, JCPenney and the PRIDE Business Resource Team (BRT) has partnered with The TREVOR PROJECT, a leading nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ people under 25 years old. Through this partnership, JCPenney has made a financial contribution to support this mission, and our associates will have the opportunity to become trained volunteer crisis counselors and help provide these crisis services.
We are proud of our Company’s diverse workforce and continuously work to reaffirm our longstanding commitment to a workplace and shopping environment where everyone feels like they belong.
