As June begins, I am thrilled to celebrate Pride Month with ARC. Pride Month honors the resilience, diversity and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community. In my role at ARC, which includes being a director of payments, I have worked to help shape our workplace culture and influence the broader travel industry toward equality. My journey with ARC is a testament to the power of authenticity and the impact of inclusivity.

I started working at ARC more than 30 years ago and came out as a lesbian almost five years later. While LGBT (as it was known at the time) domestic partner benefits in the airline industry were extremely limited 25 years ago, ARC eventually began to offer benefits to all couples. However, without marriage, employees who took advantage of domestic partner benefits were required to pay tax on the benefits. It was these types of situations that made marriage equality so vital.

Throughout my time at ARC, I’ve always felt included and equal. I cannot overstate the value of being able to bring your entire self to work.

Throughout my time at ARC, I’ve always felt included and equal. I cannot overstate the value of being able to bring your entire self to work. At ARC, each employee is appreciated as an individual for their unique experiences and perspectives. With Lauri Reishus at our helm, ARC has been “all in” supporting our LGBTQIA+ employees, allowing everyone to feel seen professionally and personally.

Within the organization, my colleagues have shown support in many ways, particularly through community engagement. In 2018 and 2019, ARC employees marched in the Washington D.C. Pride Parade. Our team represented out and proud employees, along with wonderful allies. Our work continues to help inform and engage with our colleagues through LGBTQIA+ trivia at least once a month.

With the establishment of ARC Pride in 2018, our LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, we’re able to provide a safe space for employees to connect, share experiences and advocate for meaningful change. The group's mission was to help advance the understanding that promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion both in and out of the workplace is better for everyone and better for ARC’s business goals. ARC Pride has launched numerous initiatives including educational workshops and community outreach programs with a goal of ensuring that inclusivity is woven into the fabric of our corporate culture. ARC’s People & Culture team continues to focus on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Most recently, this has included unconscious bias training, intersectionality training and broader support for all our employee resource groups.

Our dedication to equality has been recognized by outside organizations. Since 2021, ARC has received the top score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQIA+ workplace equality. This recognition underscores our ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. Through this recognition, ARC has well-defined goals we continue to meet and exceed to truly support our LGBTQIA+ employees.

As we celebrate Pride Month, ARC recognizes that our strength lies in diversity. I’m proud to work at a company that is dedicated to championing inclusivity and equality every day.