In light of the upcoming 2022 presidential election in Brazil, more than 90 companies and organizations—employing over 435,000 people in Brazil—signed an open letter yesterday urging Brazil’s presidential candidates to recognize and commit to public policies and concrete actions that support LGBTQI+ inclusion in the Brazilian workplace.

The letter, titled the “Open Letter in Support of Diversity, Respect and Inclusion for LGBTQI+ People in the Workplace in Brazil,” represents a coalition of Brazilian and multinational companies and organizations that value diversity, respect, and inclusion of LGBTQI+ people in Brazilian workplaces. The letter affirms the value and commitment of companies to create work environments where people feel welcome, where they belong, and can contribute to their fullest potential and thrive.

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“We are in awe seeing such strong, unwavering, and growing support in Brazil for workplaces where LGBTQI+ people feel like they can bring their full and authentic selves to the workplace, be accepted, and feel a sense of belonging among colleagues and teams – which is good not only for employees, but for the business, and for society broadly,” said Erin Uritus, CEO at Out & Equal, the premier organization working to advance LGBTQI+ equality in the workplace. “As evidenced by the number of signatories, businesses in Brazil understand the value of a sound and steady commitment to LGBTQI+ inclusion. More than double the number of companies that signed a similar letter in 2018.  LGBTQI+ inclusion not only keeps companies competitive in the global marketplace and positively impacts their bottom lines, but it greatly impacts the communities and societies in which these businesses operate.” 

The letter was organized by Out & Equal and two Brazilian organizations working towards LGBTQI+ workplace inclusion—Fórum de Empresas e Direitos LGBTI+ and Instituto Mais Diversidade.

“This is a time when most organizations are looking at human rights, diversity, and the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda,” said Ricardo Sales, Founding Partner of Mais Diversidade and President of the Council of Instituto Mais Diversidade. “There is no ESG without democracy. It is only in democracy – guaranteeing fundamental rights, policies of inclusion, distribution of opportunities and respect – that we advance in the agenda. The world already has a different outlook on ESG and Brazil has the opportunity to lead and drive the matter. As such, it is necessary that all governments are committed to this issue.”

While the letter is not addressed to a specific presidential candidate or political party, its objective is to encourage anyone running for office to recognize the importance of diversity, respect, and inclusion of all people in the workplace, including LGBTQI+ people, in line with the companies’ values.

“This initiative goes beyond political parties,” said Reinaldo Bulgarelli, Executive Secretary of the Fórum de Empresas e Direitos LGBTI+. “We recognize how important it is for the world of politics and democracy to support diversity and human rights. You have a set of big brands positioning themselves. It is an initiative that mobilizes the presidents of these organizations to demonstrate their support and focus on diversity in the corporate environment and, consequently, helps to mobilize the political environment.”

The first Statement of Support was signed in 2018 by more than 30 corporations and non-governmental organizations that together employed more than 110,000 people in Brazil, reaffirming the belief in and commitment to initiatives that drive diversity and support inclusion of all people in the workplace, including LGBTQI+ people.

Signatories will join to celebrate the release of this year’s Open Letter today at a Dow sponsored in-person event at São Paulo’s Amcham Brasil. 

Source: Out & Equal Workplace Advocates