This year’s theme was “All Stories Welcome”, emphasizing the significance of storytelling and intentional inclusion. Our diverse workforce is a force multiplier for innovation. The theme drives the inclusion of all individuals as their most authentic self, encouraging them to share their backgrounds and perspectives to enhance collaboration. We prioritize "All Stories" to highlight and support LGBTQIA+ employees, their family and friends, allies and everyone contributing to the strong culture at Lockheed Martin.   

From June 4-6, attendees gathered to promote visibility, community, professional development, recognition, and leadership advocacy for LGBTQIA+ employees. The forum provided a platform for discussions on important topics, challenging questions, breakout sessions, networking lunches, and insightful presentations from both internal and external speakers.

Carly was a collegiate softball player who was prescribed pain medication after an Injury her sophomore year. During that time, she continued to struggle with her mental health and addiction while also trying to figure out her bisexual identity. As she grappled with this, she also grappled with who she wanted to be in the workplace. Carly feared that bringing her authentic self to work could limit professional success. Luckily, she found a welcoming home in Lockheed Martin’s PRIDE BRG and our employee Recovery Network.

“In sharing my story, I hope to inspire others to embrace their unique identities and confront their own challenges with courage and resiliency,” she said.  

James is a U.S. Navy veteran who served under “don’t ask, don’t tell".

“That formative time in my professional life instilled in me an understanding of how detrimental it is to an organization when it disenfranchises any community of exceptional team members,” he said.

He now brings his full self to work at Lockheed Martin, volunteers with the PRIDE Business Resource Group and holds a leadership position at the non-profit Out in National Security. To James, discrimination is a poison mill for mission effectiveness. While “don’t ask, don’t tell”  is ended as policy, some service members continue to face challenges of personal acceptance. His call to action for leaders and allies is to create an environment where people can  talk about LGBTQIA+ issues at work.

Mason startedhis journey as a materials engineer and Lockheed Martin in 2019. Originally, the thought of being involved with the PRIDE Business Resource Group scared him. Then, a leader challenged Mason and empowered him through sharing his own story.  Mason was inspired and quickly became one of the leaders of the Space business area PRIDE chapter.

"One of the best decisions for my career was to be “out” and proud at Lockheed Martin and I hope that stories such as mine can show that having pride in yourself makes this a better place to work for everyone," he said.