LaunchCode’s diverse community is made up of people from all backgrounds and walks of life. A fundamental value of our organization is a commitment to celebrating our differences and championing all of our fellow techies.

A Human Rights Campaign report found that 46% of LGBTQ+ employees in the United States hide their sexuality at their place of employment. One in four reported making this decision due to the possibility of being stereotyped. LaunchCode and our #CodeWithPride partner, 1904labs, are passionate about creating supportive spaces for all communities to learn and grow in their careers without barriers.

The month of June marks Pride Month and for the second year in a row, LaunchCode is celebrating by walking in St. Louis’ Grand Pride Parade. We’re proud to have an inclusive community and would love for you to join LaunchCode as we march in this year’s parade and take part in the festivities.

Walk With Us!

The 2019 Grand Pride Parade, walking west on Market St., takes place on Sunday, June 30 at Noon.

Our LaunchCode walkers will convene at Kiener Plaza in Downtown St. Louis, 500 Chestnut St. at 11:00 a.m. Keep an eye on this blog post or on LaunchCode’s social media pages the day of the parade for updates on exact parade staging locations.

Bring your family, friends and of course, your pride!

Visit our online shop to purchase your Rainbow Rocket T (shown on just about everyone in the photo above.)

Want to Be Involved Beyond the Parade?

Code With Pride by LaunchCode + 1904labs is an affinity group that meets bi-monthly to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals currently working in tech or looking to start their tech careers. Since beginning in June 2018, Code With Pride has had over 250 unique individuals attend meetups that focus on networking, professional development, providing resources and featured guest speakers from companies like Express Scripts and Centene.

While LGBTQ+ folks in tech may not always feel comfortable asking for help from their peers, Code With Pride aims to create a supportive community for people to ask questions, find mentors, grow and learn and build relationships in an accepting environment. CWP also aims to expose local companies to the vibrant LGBTQIA+ tech community to help encourage corporate policy change.

Join our meetup group, now with over 400 members!

How Companies Can Support Code With Pride

We’re always looking for company partners to engage with our Code With Pride community. In the past, we’ve had company representatives attend meetups, give presentations, review resumes and network...and we’re always open to new ideas!
If your company is actively involved in ensuring an inclusive and accepting workspace and wants to be involved with Code With Pride, email kevin@launchcode.org.