This post is sponsored by Uber. All opinions are my own.
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Society creates and projects insecurities and labels to control and contain us. We grow up listening to people constantly tell us who to be and how to act. The concept of right and wrong has been imposed on all of us, causing us to internalize and compare ourselves to everyone else. For many, this destructive cycle is what has guided us through life, and, unfortunately continues to be the driving force behind why so many people make the life choices that they make.
When I reminisce about the past, I often think about how different my life would have been had I been exposed to the LGBTQ+ communities and language at a younger age. I could have learned how to better articulate myself and how I was feeling. At the time, I didn’t realize that society was conditioning me into thinking that heterosexuality was right and homosexuality was wrong. It wasn’t until I left New York City that I embraced my true identify. Back then, being on the LGBTQIA spectrum was still unaccepted. Schools did not have LGBTQ+ programs and companies did not consider the importance of diversity and inclusion. But, a lot has changed over the last 10 years. And, it has been extremely empowering and encouraging to witness and be apart of the world becoming more inclusive and celebratory of difference.
Community Love with UberPride
When companies, like Uber, value their employees’ voices and true identities, it creates an inclusive and prosperous working community. This type of work culture allows for people to feel supported enough to fully fulfill their professional potential.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of chatting one-on-one with UberPride team member, Sasha Arias. This week, my partnership took me to Uber’s Pittsburgh office and HQ of their Advanced Technologies Group office where I, along with fellow influencers Alok Vaid-Menon and Jacob Tobia, meet with Lana Goehring – a soft-spoken yet bad-ass trans woman who oversees UberPride in the U.S. and Canada.
We took a tour of the office and learned about all of the different departments that make up production, research, and development. The most exciting part of the tour was learning about Uber’s self-driving vehicles. At the end of the tour, Lana took us to a comfy couch placed serenely in front of a gas-lit fire (believe it or not, there are many of these scattered throughout the office!), where she shared her story of what it was like transitioning while working at Uber.
Terrified by the media’s portrayal of trans lives and the community, Lana spent the first eight months of her employment at Uber “in the closet.” That is until she discovered UberPride! Once she felt comfortable enough to come out, she launched the UberPride Pittsburgh chapter and began running UberPride in the U.S. and Canada. This Spring, she’ll be in charge of UberPride on a global scale.
Lana is more than a member of UberPride, or as she likes to say, “she’s not the token.” ATG is full of teams working on ways to replicate the human body. Lana works on the Machine Teaching Team. More specifically, her team creates “memories” so that the car can work properly on its own. So, she has her day job and as UberPride says, her “gay job”!
How UberPride Supports Its Employees
There are so many companies investing in diversity and inclusion, but many of those companies are failing to bring it full circle. It’s one thing to say that your company welcomes people on the spectrum, but, it’s another to have employee benefits that reflect that investment – like same-sex family planning or ensuring that people who want to transition will have the type of medical coverage and access that they need.
When it comes to providing medical care for its employees, Uber is setting the standard high. In terms of transition care, Uber covers all medical needs for its trans employees. This includes hormone replacement therapy and gender conformation surgeries. Another plus of Uber’s healthcare benefits is the unlimited therapy coverage, which was made possible through their decision to purchase additional coverage from another provider. Juxtaposed to most other employer healthcare plans with limited access to therapy sessions per year, Uber’s employees never have to worry about compromising when it comes to their mental health. The company is always listening to its employees, looking for feedback and new ways to improve their healthcare benefits.
Setting the Tone!
Coming into yourself in this world today can be challenging to say the least. Then, add the pressure of identifying as someone who society considers “not normal,” and life gets that much harder. One of the most important things along ones journey is finding safe spaces that are inclusive and people that honor and value your true authentic self. It seems to me that Uber is that place and community. Whether you’re on the LGBTQIA spectrum, POC, or both, Uber’s ERGs acknowledge and respect your identity and are committed to making their employees lives that much more joyful and enriched.
What do you think?