Orchestra Pride 2026: Out on the field
No, we’re not joking. The theme for Orchestra Pride 2026 was… sports.
We know that sports aren’t usually the first thing you think about when you consider LGBTQ+ culture. But hear us out.
In May 2026, as our LGBTQ+ ERG started up from a pause and Pride became a planning priority, we reached out to our ERG members to ask what they wanted to see from Orchestra’s Pride programming. Scattered throughout the feedback was a recurring theme: competition. The WNBA, Heated Rivalry, the World Cup, Survivor and even iconic New York Liberty mascot Ellie the Elephant were called out as things that would make our community feel seen.
Makes sense, once you think about it: queer athletes, queer fans and queer-coded competition have always been part of sports, they just haven't always been celebrated. Sports have historically carried a heteronormative, masculine energy, but something real is shifting in 2026. We wanted to name that shift and celebrate it.
"Out on the Field" felt right because it sits at the intersection of two things Orchestra cares about: Pride, which is about belonging, and competition, which is in our DNA. We're a team here and we're always playing like one.
Stepping up to the plate
SVP of Growth Orwin Evenson and I became the official LGBTQ+ ERG leads in late April 2026, giving us exactly four weeks to pull all Pride 2026 programming together. Our apparatus had to go from stock still to all engines firing immediately.
First, we relied heavily on the Orchestra People team, who supplied much more than a budget. They coached us through planning and execution across all offices, keeping everyone aligned with all-star project management.
Next, we tapped our best resource: the 50+ members of the LGBTQ+ ERG. In small ways (adding queer anthems to our Pride Spotify playlist) and big (coordinating an entire drag show), this team stepped up to the plate. We built all the programming around what this team said when we asked what Pride 2026 should look like:
Pride Day
On June 23rd, every Orchestra office showed up wearing a different color of the Pride flag, a “uniform” that turned each office into one piece of something bigger. Together, the colors made us one, unified team. Employees spent the day listening to a Pride playlist and enjoying a catered lunch or snacks.
Drag show
The New York office hosted a sports-themed drag show starring Freeda Kulo, returning for her second year with us. We love working with Freeda because her work is deeply rooted in community. Her platform uplifts queer voices, amplifies HIV/AIDS awareness and celebrates Latinx heritage with intention and pride. Joining her were Egypt and Vampy von Thickums Galore (say that ten times fast), who brought their own artistry to the floor. The team closed out the night at Boxers NYC in Chelsea.
Sports!
Each office also took the theme onto the field at different sporting events. For instance, the San Francisco office caught a Valkyries game, while the Boston office battled it out at a local Pickleball tournament.
Building on a tradition started last year by Inkhouse, an Orchestra company, the LGBTQ+ ERG also created city-specific resource guides for every Orchestra office: infographics packed with local Pride events, LGBTQ+ landmarks and a timeline of queer history in each city.
We did this because Pride is deeply local. The history of LGBTQ+ rights was built city by city, block by block, by communities who showed up for each other year after year. Some employees are in a city that hosted the first Pride march, while others live in communities that are still fighting for LGBTQ+ rights today. An organization that acknowledges that is a stronger, more supportive resource for its employees.
A place to belong
When Inkhouse sent out that resource guide last year, I felt seen in a way I hadn't expected. This is my first time leading an ERG of any kind, and Inkhouse/Orchestra is my first workplace that has a dedicated LGBTQ+ program. I'm one of three employees in Salt Lake City, Utah, a place where LGBTQ+ rights remain an active and often painful point of contention in government, schools and business.
That context is why having a dedicated ERG at work is something I don't take for granted. A place to bring my full self (which, yes, sometimes just means trading RuPaul's Drag Race reaction gifs) is genuinely new for me. And it matters.
I want everyone at Orchestra to have that. Not because it's good for business (though it is) but because people do their best work when they feel like they belong.
Pride month may be over, but the ERG isn't. Until we do this all again next June, we hope every Orchestra employee sees the LGBTQ+ ERG as a valuable resource. We also hope ERG members keep building connections and see each other as teammates as we go about our work.
We're one team. One Orchestra. And we'll keep leaving it all out on the field.
