A Celebration in Mexico City: Recognizing Achievements At Our Executive Event

HRC Foundation's Global Workplace Equality Program team along with implementing partners from ADIL

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Global Workplace Equality Program traveled to Mexico City for a first-of-its-kind executive event on Monday, March 4th, and Tuesday, March 5th. They celebrated seven prolific years of the Equidad MX alongside representatives from the hundreds of multinational corporations that have worked in partnership to advance LGBTQ+ workplace equality in Mexico.

Carlhey Bolz, Deputy Director of Global Business Engagement, described the event as “a recognition of our top scorers’ and notable participants’ landmark achievements in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. Simultaneously, these events served to educate our attendees and promote generative conversations on important issues in DEI spaces.”

The Equidad MX survey is the leading workplace benchmarking tool designed to grow LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality across Mexico, and it has impacted over 1.5 million employees since its inception in 2016. The Equidad MX report is modeled after HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, the leading benchmarking tool on corporate LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices in the United States. In the 2024 Equidad MX report, over 250 companies and businesses were recognized as “Best Places to Work For LGBTQ+ Equality,” reflecting the growing and ongoing impact of the team’s work in Mexico.

"We showcased findings from the recent Equidad MX report at a press conference event last year in Guadalajara, Mexico," said Bolz. "This first-of-its-kind executive event was held midway between the launch of our last report and the opening of our next survey to re-energize our participants."

Rashawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, SHRM, Senior Director of the Workplace Equality Program, kicked off a reception on Monday evening hosted by Diageo Mexico for key stakeholders, including the Mexico Business Advisory Council, C-suite participants from some of the Equidad MX report’s long-time top scorers as well as a few actively-engaged individuals.

The reception was followed by an executive event hosted at the Walmart Mexico & Central America headquarters and organized by ADIL Diversidad e Inclusión Laboral, the Equidad MX program’s implementation partners in Mexico. HRC President Kelley Robinson provided inspiring opening remarks for the various community and business leaders in attendance.

The event included three incredibly impactful and insightful panels given by business experts. These panels covered best practices for responding to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, employee education and training, and how to increase trans and nonbinary inclusion in corporate spaces throughout Mexico. Recently-out actor Alan Estrada and the first Mexican winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Taiga Brava served as special guests for the event, providing personal anecdotes and insight into their experiences with LGBTQ+ inclusion within their respective industries.

This was a powerful event that brought the reach and impact of our work to the forefront of all our minds. HRC is headquartered in the United States, but our global impact is undeniable at such events. The LGBTQ+ community has advocates everywhere who are fighting hard for the right to live as their authentic selves.”

Carlhey Bolz, Deputy Director of Global Business Engagement

Francisco Robledo, Director of ADIL and one of our founding implementing partners, said these events allow companies to strengthen their relationships with leaders from the LGBTQ+ community.

These executive events initiate important conversations and allow us to strengthen our connections with inclusive leaders in workplaces across our country. Seven years after founding HRC Equidad MX, the network of companies and leaders improving LGBTQ+ workforce inclusion in our country continues to grow.”

Francisco Robledo, Director of ADIL

Contact workplace@hrc.org to learn more.