2 July 2021

A portrait of love and identity

Being Bold to me isn’t just about my sexuality or gender identity; it’s about the community that allows me to express myself without fear. Being Bold to me involves showing up as my authentic self, celebrating the parts of myself I was so desperately trying to hide growing up and transforming them into my power.

Adam (he/him), Global Learning Operations Specialist, London

A person with long brown hair sits on the floor with legs apart, wearing a navy blue sweater with red, white, and blue geometric patterns and red-and-white striped shorts, against a plain white background.

A woman with long, blonde hair and glasses stands in front of green foliage, wearing a black zip-up top and a belt, looking slightly to the side with her hands behind her back.

Something shifted when I realised I was gay; I felt a little more at home in a body I’ve always been at war with. Each day I try to show up a little more as myself, and having a community around me that celebrates queer joy helps with that.

Jodie (she/her), Copywriter, London

“I lived in Atlanta all my life and took for granted how much acceptance came with living in a city with a large LGBTQ+ population. My husband and I had been raising two children for over 15 years and rarely had to think about how folks would react to us. In 2021, we relocated and needed to explain who we were. We created an intention to be ourselves, let people see our example and move toward us. Humans continue to surprise me, and I have to remind myself that living your life openly and with pride is living BOLDLY, and it will change hearts and minds over time.”

Lance (he/him), Executive Director of Delivery, Atlanta

A bearded man with short hair, wearing a dark sweater, smiles while looking at the camera. The background is plain and light-colored. The photo is in black and white.

A person sits on a wooden platform built between palm trees, overlooking the ocean at sunset. The sky is a mix of blue and orange, and waves crash gently on the rocky shore below.

“It’s still (just about) OK to be Gay in China - LGBT people have become increasingly visible over the last decade, but the tightening of censorship and restrictions are still something that we have to deal with on a daily basis.”

Daphnée (she/her), Group Account Director, Shanghai

After coming out as non-binary and transfemme this year, I feel liberated and empowered to move through the world in the most natural way. I have been blown away by the kindness and support I have received since coming out. There is more good than bad in our world; in the end, love will win. We must continue to unite, support, and live boldly and unapologetically.

Dylan (she/they), Project Manager, Portland

A person with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses stands outdoors in sunlight, wearing a black polka-dot top. Pink flowers and green leaves are in the blurred background, and a tattoo is visible on their upper arm.

A smiling woman with a nose ring lies on a concrete surface. A vibrant rainbow of light is cast across her face, crossing over her left eye and cheek. She is wearing a brown jacket and looking directly at the camera.

“I choose to exist BOLDly by showing up with courageous vulnerability, with hopes that it empowers others to do the same. Being BOLD isn’t limited to my bisexuality - it’s also talking about my mental health, my struggles and my learnings. I think the more we show up BOLDly and courageously, and the more we share our vulnerabilites and otherness with each other, the safer and more compassionate our world will be.”

Katie (she/her), Learning and Development Specialist, San Francisco

A person wearing a large, colorful floral headdress and garland, surrounded by vibrant flowers, stands in a dimly lit room with a crowd in the background.

“As a queer man of colour, you are taught to hide one’s true self in a costume of respectability. To be a model minority. To not be gay in public, but if you must, be the acceptable kind of gay. These days I make costumes to create a safe space where I can unpack the facets of my true self. I can celebrate the brown and queer characters in today’s games and entertainment that didn’t exist when I was a kid. And when I shed a costume, I am free to internalise the parts that felt right. To rebuild myself to be greater and truer than the sum of my identities.”

Charles (he/him), Associate Design Director, San Francisco

“I’ve lived and loved BOLDly, coming out in my 30s and marrying the love of my life just steps from the White House. It felt amazing to be true to myself and say ‘I Do’ that cold day in January 2016, and it’s one that I’ll never forget.”

Sarah (she/her), Program Director, Atlanta

Two women stand facing each other on a brick path, surrounded by greenery and trees. One wears a white dress holding a bouquet, the other wears a black suit. They smile at each other in a sunlit garden setting.

A woman wearing a hat smiles while holding a young child with short brown hair. The child, dressed in a white shirt, looks at the camera. The background shows a blue sky with scattered clouds.

“I am mother, a wife, a confidant, and so much more. I am proud to be part of a larger queer community of friends and family. Living BOLDly is living authentically, and loving fearlessly.”

Katje (she/her), Senior HR Director, Portland

“I was really missing my queer community and friends ever since the pandemic started, so I was trying to find a way to stay connected to them through art and design. I started a small side gig upcycling clothes into sustainable streetwear via screenprinting and working with other QTBIPOC designers. I don’t know many nonbinary, queer Korean people who are in streetwear, but I hope my community grows... not only for me but also for all the other artists I collaborate with and will work with in the future.”

CJ (they/she), Junior Art Director, San Francisco

A person with long pink hair, wearing headphones and gloves, is focused on working with a screen printing frame in a well-lit room with white walls.

“Being BOLD to me means living out loud: openly, proudly and empathetically. I want to enjoy the hard-won freedoms that the courageous generations before us fought for while making space to center those who suffer most from intersecting forms of oppression today. I’m still on a journey to be my boldest self, but learning from the queer community makes it the most satisfying work in progress.”

Sean (he/him), Strategy Director, San Francisco

A young man with short brown hair smiles at the camera, standing outdoors near a body of water with a cloudy sky in the background. He is wearing a grey shirt and has sunglasses hanging from his collar.

Proud and BOLD are initiatives led by our LGBTQIA+ employees worldwide.

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