Stronger Together: LGBTQIA+ at Umicore
Love takes a different form for each of us. At Umicore, we recognize that everyone has the right to love whomever they choose and to fully express themselves as they are. However, we also recognize that our LGBTQIA+ community is often denied this right. That is why, for Umicore, Pride Month in June is marked by the rainbow flag. The LGBTQIA+ community advocates for greater tolerance and celebrates the diversity of society.
Queer at Umicore: One Year Later
As a company, we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that all Umicore employees feel comfortable in the workplace and can fully express their sexual orientation and gender identity. Exactly one year ago, the employee group Queer at Umicore was launched to achieve this goal. It not only provides a space where colleagues who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community can share experiences and support one another, but it also helps build allies by raising awareness of important issues.
Tim van Hoydonck, IT specialist at Umicore: “Queer at Umicore got off to a surprising but positive start. During a webinar organized by the LGBTQIA+ advocacy group KLIQ, we noticed a lot of healthy employee engagement, with discussions about what it’s like to be ‘out’ in the workplace. That was the perfect opportunity to launch the community a few months later, allowing us to further increase the visibility of our LGBTQIA+ colleagues. Over the past year, we’ve seen tangible results, including updated language in internal documents that better reflect the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities.”
Alonso Reyes Ratana, Process Engineer: “When I arrived at Umicore, I looked to see if there were any groups I could join and came across Queer at Umicore. I was very pleased to see that it was an active and inspiring group—and also inspiring. People from all over the world weren’t afraid to come out and show who they are. That shows how open our company is. It’s also nice to see that there are allies in the group who are looking for ways to support us.”
A company culture where everyone feels accepted fosters a stronger sense of belonging and creates a more pleasant workplace. For Tim, this meant that his colleagues could share in one of the biggest moments of his life:
"My husband and I got married during the pandemic, so we weren’t able to have a celebration at the time. Earlier this year, we were finally able to celebrate this event, and I was so happy that some of my team members and their partners could be there. It was really great that the people I see every day could be part of this special moment! When I go to work, I know that this aspect of my identity is accepted and welcomed, which gives me extra confidence.”
When Alonso applied for a job at Umicore, he felt he didn’t need to hide his sexuality. And he was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming his production team was:
"There was a perception that production staff aren’t as open as others in the company when it comes to LGBTQIA+ issues. But in my experience, that was far from the case. Even though many aren’t yet familiar with Queer at Umicore, that hasn’t stopped us from having some honest, insightful discussions. I joined the company to do amazing work. What I didn’t expect was that I’d be doing this alongside some amazing colleagues. In fact, the only other place where I’ve experienced this level of encouragement and camaraderie was Disney!”
Looking Ahead
Umicore is making a statement during Pride Month. We’re thrilled to see the Pride flag flying at our Hoboken site in Belgium, a rainbow crosswalk in Hanau, and our plans to raise more flags and install additional rainbow crosswalks at other locations. As for Queer at Umicore, the work is just getting started. Tim van Hoydonck: “Most of our meetings have taken place virtually so far. That’s why I’m really looking forward to some in-person events! Right now, the community consists mainly of Europeans, so it would be great if colleagues from South America or Asia would join in as well. But that has to happen organically. They should feel able to join in without feeling pressured to do so. Ultimately, each local community will know what’s best.”