Pride Without Prejudice: IHG Hotels & Resorts celebrates its LGBTQ colleagues

Jessica Thompson has been working in hospitality since she was 15 years old - nightclubs, pizzerias, hotels, she has done it all.
'There isn't a day that is the same,' says Thompson. 'I love that this job keeps me engaged and that I'm always meeting different people.'

'There isn't a day that is the same,' says Thompson. 'I love that this job keeps me engaged and that I'm always meeting different people.'

Thompson is now the General Manager of voco Franklin in New York City. She is out with her staff and says the most important thing for her as a manager is that her team knows she empathizes with them.

'I feel like a lot of people in the LGBTQ community are drawn to hospitality because it's already an accepting industry. We are exposed to people from all walks of life, all different places,' says Thompson.

Scan the Human Rights Watch Corporate Equality Index, and it includes several hospitality companies, including IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Marshall Willis, Manager, Revenue Strategy & Planning, and Daniel Bautista, Director, Hotel Quality, are the leads of IHG's LGBTQ Employee Resource Group, Out & Open.

They have a front-row seat to the company's commitment to equality.

'IHG has not only supported its Out & Open colleagues, but it's also put money behind this issue. We have one of the highest sponsorship levels for Atlanta Pride,' says Willis.

'Embracing diversity and recognizing the value it adds is incredibly important,' agrees Bautista. 'We are a people business, and we have to welcome people from all walks of life. So, when owners franchise with us, they are getting the whole package, and that includes a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.'

Welcoming experiences, for all our guests, are in the company's DNA - nowhere more so than with Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. The brand has had a strong partnership with The Trevor Project, as its national hotel partner, since 2014.

'When we open our doors, we open them to everyone, and that's very natural for us. We have partnerships, campaigns, and other localized efforts to support LGBTQ employees and guests,' says Kimpton Chief Commercial Officer Kathleen Reidenbach. 'Ultimately, being yourself leads to the best interactions with guests. You can't make heartfelt human connections without authenticity.'

That freedom to be one's authentic self is also what Thompson says she works hard to instill in her staff. It's central to the work Willis and Bautista do as leads for Out & Open. And it's what drives IHG's commitment to caring for our people and our communities.

'I think - especially after what we have all gone through the last 18 months - we can all do with looking at what's important and what matters,' says Thompson. 'We may not all have the same views, but we can all treat each other with kindness.'