TUNE celebrates pride month

This year, TUNE marched in the Seattle Pride Parade for the first time, and continued our tradition of celebrating pride in our communities around the world. Below, several TUNErs who participated share their experiences and thoughts about coming together as a community and supporting each other as One TUNE.

The decision to sponsor Pride created a fantastic opportunity for employees, friends and family to become advocates for both the Seattle Pride Community and our very own TUNE community! To kick off Pride Weekend, the Seattle office celebrated with a happy hour and a speed raffle that raised $225 in less than 45 minutes. All proceeds from the raffle went to Lambert House, the oldest LGBTQ nonprofit in Seattle.

On the day of the parade, it was estimated that thousands of people would fill the downtown streets to celebrate the month of Pride. TUNE walked proudly with more than 50 team members, families, and friends who came together and marched together to support Pride in Seattle and in our offices around the globe. — Hillary Robinson, internal events and community engagement coordinator

Pride is special to me for many reasons. Seeing such an open display of bravery and tolerance is deeply moving. It’s a celebration of life, human rights and ultimately, the right to love whoever you want. I believe that is something that’s always worth celebrating, and what makes TUNE so special.

 Working for a company that embraces diversity and inclusion is nothing short of amazing!

In the San Francisco office, we attended a San Francisco Giants game on LGBTQ Night at the ballpark, and proceeds from ticket sales support local LGBTQ nonprofits. A number of TUNErs from our office also attended the Pride parade to show our support for our city’s LGBTQ community. — Lauren Manson, San Francisco, office manager

Being part of a community is empowering in the benefits that it provides, such as the interactions with others that share a similar goal and the ability for someone to feel comfortable. Communities should not just be made up of individuals. Most of us spend many hours at our workplace every day, and are proud of the things that are accomplished in our work-life.

For me, working for a company that values equality in all aspects of the tech field is very important. Working with the Pride committee for TUNE’s first Seattle Pride is exciting and only furthers TUNE’s vision of equality for everyone. I am very proud of the strides being taken by companies, including TUNE, to show this immense support of community. — Jamey Nelson, site reliability engineer

This year was my first year marching in Pride instead of just standing and watching. Marching was a great experience — getting to see all the crowds on the side cheering and dressed up and waving rainbow flags. We even had a great time in the staging area waiting to march. It made me feel very happy and supported by my coworkers at TUNE. Gathering together, having sandwiches, drinks, and putting on some face paint and glitter with other LGBTQ+ and straight allies was a lot of fun. The march was a great bonding experience, and I’m proud to be a part of the TUNE family. — Sarah Burns, software development engineer 

What made participating in the parade even more special for TUNE was that the idea of marching in the parade stemmed from a group of employees who wanted to share their passions with fellow teammates and come together in unity to celebrate our community. This was the first year TUNE participated in the parade, and it was amazing to see employees march through the streets of Seattle with contagious positive energy and a welcoming spirit.