6/9/26 By John Basile, co-founder
It was 2006 in Boston, and many of us that were working in the Financial Services and Consulting sectors were working hard to develop our LGBTQ+ employee resources groups within our organizations. For many years we had been advocating for domestic partner benefits for same sex couples. It was a catalyzing effort that helped build and grow our workplace equality efforts. However, once Massachusetts legalized marriage equality, there seemed to be less emphasis on building inclusive workplaces. A sense of relief and complacency settled in for many companies that had been leading these efforts for years. For Wendell K. Chestnut (BofA), Michael Poirier (PWC), Tim Laurin (State Street), Matt McTygue (EAPD) and myself (Fidelity), many of our efforts seemed to be stalling. We recognized that even though marriage equality was now legal in Massachusetts, we all worked in organizations that operated in a number of states that had not yet recognized or legalized our relationships.
We also realized that creating workplaces that fostered a more inclusive environment for all of our LGBTQ+ employees was a much more worthy and necessary goal. It was very clear to us that for many of our employees in other parts of the country, being able to bring their true selves to work was not a reality, and in most cases, not being accepted as equals amongst their straight colleagues was an everyday occurrence.
So, as we sipped cocktails at Club Cafe one evening after work, the group of us decided in order to truly achieve workplace equity and inclusion within our organizations, it made sense to combine our efforts and bring our organizations together to focus on this incredibly important work. And so PIOW was born. We began reaching out to colleagues at other companies, slowly weaving a web of professionals across New England.
The early days were a true labor of love. We established networking meet ups after hours, sharing stories of being the only one in your respective departments. We heard about the lack of mentorship for LGBTQ+ talent and the awkwardness of navigating corporate cultures that were tolerant but not exactly welcoming.
What started as modest networking mixers grew into a movement. We weren’t just trading business cards; we were building a blueprint for how companies could actively support their employees through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and inclusive HR policies.
As the years rolled by, PIOW became a pillar of the Boston LGBTQ+ employee community. We hosted impactful events spotlighting key leaders within the community that were truly making a difference in helping to build inclusive work practices within their companies. Senior leaders from New England’s most successful companies came to the table to find ways to help through sponsorship and leveraging their influence in the business community to work with us in moving these efforts forward. It moved beyond Financial Services and Consulting to Healthcare, Technology, Pharmaceutical, Law Firms and Retail companies.
We all watched as the modest beginning transformed into an impactful nonprofit, eventually passing the torch to new leaders who shared the vision. We each recruited leaders from our respective organizations and beyond to help lead the way in engaging the next generation of employees entering the workplace.
Looking back now, more than 20 years later, and the dozens of inspiring forums, panel discussions, workplace consulting projects and leadership roundtables, the legacy is clear. We had no idea what this would become, we just knew that we needed to leverage and harness the power of our roles within the community and our businesses to help our fellow colleagues bridge the gap between their working lives and their authentic selves. Because of the hard work of many Board Members, Advisory Board members, ERG leaders and volunteers, thousands of people in Greater Boston and beyond can now walk into work everyday knowing they can lead with Pride. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Cheers to you
With Gratitude
Carol Roby