Celebrating diversity: Yoast’s sponsorship of the Pride Party at WCEU

At Yoast, we’re not only dedicated to making the web a better place. We also strive for inclusivity, which is why we’re excited to be sponsoring a Pride party at WordCamp Europe (WCEU)! With this initiative, we hope to create a welcoming space for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.

Why Yoast supports Pride

Since equality and inclusiveness are two of Yoast’s most important core values, we are proud to sponsor the WCEU Pride party. We hope to create a safe and inclusive event where everyone in the WordPress community can celebrate their true selves. So, you’re more than welcome to join in on the fun!

Key reasons for Yoast’s sponsorship

Not a fan of reading long blog posts? Here’s the TL;DR of why we’re sponsoring the Pride party at WCEU:

• Promoting inclusivity: Yoast is dedicated to ensuring that everyone (in the WordPress community and beyond) feels welcome and valued. That’s why we’re excited to sponsor the Pride party!
• Supporting LGBTQIA+ visibility: By backing Pride events, we want to help increase visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community, and make people feel welcome in the WordPress community.
• Creating safe spaces: It’s important to feel safe, especially at large events like WordCamp Europe. By sponsoring the Pride party, we want to contribute to a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to express themselves freely.
• Fostering community: Celebrating Pride at WCEU encourages community building. We hope this Pride event brings individuals from diverse backgrounds together, so they can share experiences and support one another.

The importance of Pride

Pride celebrations are very important, because they raise visibility and awareness about the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community today (and in the past). They also empower people to embrace their identities and celebrate their uniqueness. What’s more, Pride events help build a sense of community, because they offer spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals to connect, share experiences, and support each other. But they can also serve as platforms for advocating for equal rights and challenging discrimination.

The current state of LGBTQIA+ rights in Italy

In Italy, the state of LGBTQIA+ rights has seen progress but still faces significant challenges. While it’s prohibited to discriminate based on sexual orientation and gender identity, social acceptance varies widely across the country. Recent efforts to pass comprehensive anti-homophobia legislation have faced significant opposition and setbacks. Luckily, same-sex civil unions have been legal since 2016. However, same-sex marriage is not, and same-sex parents are often not registered on the birth certificates of their children. Last year, state agencies even retroactively removed the mother who didn’t give birth from their child’s certificate.

Despite these challenges, the LGBTQIA+ community in Italy continues to advocate for equal rights and greater societal acceptance.

That’s why we at Yoast think it’s extra important to create an inclusive and supportive environment for everyone in the tech industry (and beyond). With the Pride party, we want to celebrate diversity and make people feel welcome. So, let’s celebrate together!

For more details about Yoast’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit our Pride at Yoast page.