The Xbox Pride controller top case has been redesigned from the ground up by the LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft to evoke even more representation. We listened and are expanding availability, because every gamer deserves the right to be seen and heard. While the controller was received positively, many asked to make the design universally available. We produced a limited batch and shared them with LGBTQIA+ players and creators around the world. Last year, we shared a vision for an Xbox Pride controller. This vibrant, energetic statement reminds us that by coming together across groups and bridging borders, we can make a difference for LGBTQIA+ communities and beyond. Thirty-three flags representing LGBTQIA+ identities, one Ally flag and one Polyamory flag are at the core of this year’s work. This year, GLEAM is almost doubling the number of communities represented in our campaign aesthetic.
We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our customers many note that they feel seen and appreciated by that approach. Last year, GLEAM embraced over a dozen community flags to drive recognition of expansive LGBTQIA+ communities. The rich, varied, global and intersectional tapestry of the LGBTQIA+ experience is the inspiration for our design. We continue to be inspired by the diversity of gender identities, gender expressions, sexual and romantic orientations. We’ve designed our Pride expression with, and for, LGBTQIA+ communities to celebrate their vibrancy and strength – and how closely they’re connected. Lifting over 30 LGBTQIA+ communities - our most inclusive Pride expression Through our campaign we invite everyone to join in the actions and calls for justice and equity across all borders – geographical, societal or ideological. In a time when some try to confine or legislate against LGBTQIA+ communities, Microsoft’s LGBTQIA+ employees proudly say that empathy, peace, equity and queer joy are universal. Their stories about protecting women’s rights, supporting Ukraine, achieving racial justice, protecting transgender lives and creating LGBTQIA+ visibility and equity on a global scale touch on universal issues through an LGBTQIA+ lens – and invite everyone to join in our global commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights. When selecting the focus for this year’s Pride, members of the Global LGBTQIA+ Employee and Allies at Microsoft Employee Resource Group (GLEAM) reflected on the intersectionality of LGBTQIA+ communities, centered on the stories of Black and African American, Asian, Indigenous, Hispanic and Latinx LGBTQIA+ people from around the world and called out the interconnected nature of the global challenges we all face.įrom Thailand to Kazakhstan to India to Ireland and more - our employees’ stories show that no town is too small, no village too remote to celebrate Pride. Microsoft operates in over 120 countries, many of which still don’t provide legal protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals and even restrict or confine LGBTQIA+ identities. Pride has no borders – our most global Pride yet You can also watch the livestream on YouTube.
#YOUTUBE GAY TEST AD WINDOWS#
Tune in via AltSpaceVR on Windows or MacOS, your Windows Mixed Reality headset, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.
Discover how we can bridge borders and bring about collective change for all. Immerse yourself in a bit of Pride history in a metaverse space.
Learn about the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in a virtual world from activists, players and advocates from LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft, Team Xbox and organizations like the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) and OutRight Action International. This year LGBTQIA+ communities at Microsoft invite everyone to join in our experimental “Pride has no borders” metaverse event. Pride has no borders – immerse into our metaverse Pride event on June 17 In the coming months, you’ll be able to explore more LGBTQIA+ stories and immersive experiences on an array of topics such as accessibility, sustainability, culture, science, radical tech and more. Our inaugural edition is all about Pride. Today, we’ve launched Microsoft Unlocked – a new digital destination for stories from the heart and soul of innovation. We’re excited to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices year-round, not just at Pride. That’s in addition to the $8 million we’ve donated together with our employees since last year. To mark the launch of our campaign, we’re contributing a total of $170,000 to LGBTQIA+ nonprofits around the world. Through stories, products and metaverse events, it highlights the interconnected challenges LGBTQIA+ people face and calls for a unified global response.
Our Pride centers on intersectionality of the LGBTQIA+ movements across race, ethnicity and geography.