During Pride Month, we’re highlighting our coworkers who are members and allies of the LGBT+ community. Gabby P., a Human Resources Coordinator in Texas, has found support and validation at Enterprise, and strives to help others feel more comfortable with who they are, too. Keep reading to find out about Gabby’s experience coming out as gay and non-binary at work.

How did you first learn about Enterprise as an employer?

One month after I graduated college I was involved in an accident and rented through Enterprise. During a meeting with Car Sales to get a new car, they actually thought I would be a good fit for the company so I applied!

Tell us a little bit about your career with Enterprise. How did you start and how did you get to where you are now?

I joined the Management Training Program in 2016, starting off in South Austin. While I was moving through milestones in my rental career, a position on the Human Resources team became available and I couldn’t resist applying. In March 2018, I became a Human Resources Coordinator.

Why do you enjoy working for Enterprise?

I enjoy working for a company with values that are directly in line with my own and where I have felt that, from the start, I can fully be myself.

How does Enterprise support LGBT+ employees and allies?

Enterprise supports LGBT+ employees and allies in so many ways! As an HR professional, I love knowing that I can direct LGBT+ employees and our allies to the wide variety of resources and support provided by the company.

To start, the Enterprise Holdings Foundation allows us to give back to our own LGBT+ community with annual donations to our local Pride organization. The company intranet has a page dedicated to Diversity & Inclusion, where employees can stay updated on LGBT+ issues. Health benefits provided to eligible employees also include resources for LGBT+ employees.

One of the most energized ways the company shows support is when employees participate in local Pride Month events. In Austin, the Pride Parade is one of our most heavily attended community events of the year!

I also want to give a huge shout-out to the Gender Identity option on Workday, our internal HR system! As non-binary, updating this was a huge step in coming out in the workplace. Thanks for the support and validation!

How did you go about coming out at work? How important is it for you to be out at work?

I’ve had to come out in two different ways at work. First I came out as gay, which was a daunting task. I was cautious, but as I came out to more and more coworkers, I realized how supportive and accepting my work environment was. Now I have no hesitation in being out as gay to the people I work with and letting them know this part of me.

In the past year I began coming out as non-binary in my personal and work life. The process is surprisingly more daunting than coming out as gay. Most people are aware of different sexual orientations, but awareness around gender identity is less common. My gender identity is one that even allies might not understand or validate. I typically have to assess if I have the energy to educate the people I come out to about being non-binary and my pronouns. As Enterprise continues to spotlight non-binary employees, I think the process will become easier.

Being completely out at work in both my sexuality and gender identity is very important to me because I can contribute to the representation of these identities, hopefully inspiring more co-workers to be comfortable with who they are.

How important do you think it is to have LGBT role models at work?

Having LGBT+ role models at work is very important! It allows others who identify in the same way to feel safe and supported in the workplace.