Pride in Tech🏳️🌈: how it went!
June 1. Not only the start of Pride month 2023🌈, but also the anniversary of Clusity, the #womenintech community🥳! Two reasons to celebrate and we did so with the fantastic 'Pride in Tech event' at Cronos Europa in Brussels. Here's a recap of the inspiring evening, along with the photos! Re-enjoy!😉
Yesterday, as the (still) much-needed Pride month kicked off, we brought together women, LGBTQIA+ allies and enthusiasts to discuss the world of Pride and technology. 🌍 During the evening, we delved into the parallels between the Pride movement and the tech world. The thing they may have in common: the embodiment of essential change, resilience and empowerment. 💪🏼
To kick off the evening, we started with an artistic contribution from spoken-word artist Maravilha Munto:
"I think love is loving yourself unconditionally. That includes the parts of yourself you wish the world could never see. That includes the body you start to love less, because of the unrealistic standards you have forced yourself to believe in, unconsciously."
With her fine personality and beautiful poems accompanied by peaceful music, she gave us a laugh😄 (and a tear💧). By reflecting on what we are all capable of when we truly love ourselves just as we are, she set the hopeful and positive note for the evening.
We then shared ideas, personal stories and similarities to the tech world during a panel discussion, consisting of Izzy Claerhout (she/her), Emmanuelle Verhagen (e/ir) and Lissah Blommaert (she/her). And of course our 4th panelist: the audience, their experiences and views on the importance of continuing to talk and breaking barriers 🚧. An important conclusion that can be drawn from this:
"We have to stop thinking in terms of us or them. It's just about us, all together. It's not about differences, it's not about "accepting" people. It's about living together and learning from each other instead of fighting each other. This applies not only to the LGBTQIA+ community, but to diversity, equality and inclusion in general."
In short, it was an inspiring evening where everyone had the opportunity to learn from each other, break barriers and connect! For that, let tech be a catalyst for embracing positive change!
Thank you to Cronos Europe for the fine venue & support to make this event a reality! 🤗
Find the photos below!
(Click on the photo to see it in full size!)
