All of Yum!’s campuses have an LGBTQ+ employee resource group with the purpose to provide a safe, educated and supportive community where opportunity is unlocked for our LGBTQ+ population and at our Plano campus, it’s called Yum! Equality Society, or YES!.
For Pride Month, we recently sat down with Fabricio Assis, a Development Manager for Pizza Hut Global’s Latin America & Iberia business (and a co-chair in YES!), to discuss why he became a member of YES!, what Pride means to him and what he wishes he could tell his younger self.
What made you want to become a member of YES!?
“Working with Yum! Brands for almost 10 years now, I have seen growth and positive change in our culture. Joining YES! was a way for me, and those who are in YES!, to further explore ideas to ensure Yum! continues to be a great place for the LGBTQ+ community to work.”
What does Pride Month mean and why is Pride Month so important?
“Pride means a lot to me these days! It is a way to express myself and to do so in a way that I don’t need to even think about it – just being myself and being respected for who and how I am. This has given me a lot of courage and freedom once I realized that having pride in myself is liberating and very powerful.”
In general, do you see more/less acceptance of the LGBTQ+ population in our communities?
“From my own experience, I feel more confident with myself and more empowered. But I do think that’s because I’m a white, gay man and I acknowledge that because of it, I may have more privileges than others. Personally, YES! has been a way for me to build on my knowledge and be more of service to the ones who are less privileged. In my opinion, once our communities offer more seats at the table for black, trans women, that’s when we may see real progress and acceptance.”
What are some ways allies can advocate for the LGBTQ+ community?
“We need allies to continue to educate themselves about ongoing LGBTQ+ struggles. Continue to grow your circles to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals – at work, at home, in your community – and in doing so, you’ll continue to educate yourself about ongoing LGBTQ+ struggles and ways in which you can lend your voice to make positive change in your community.”
What is one thing you wish you could tell your younger self?
“Don’t be afraid to be your true self – you are awesome.”
If you could leave one thing for us to remember about Pride Month, what would that be?
“Pride is not just in June – and for the LGBTQ+, Pride is every day, for everyone.”