How the Diversifly network is turning the Lufthansa Group into a safe space for queer employees

July 28, 1969, a dive bar on Christopher Street in New York's Greenwich Village district. Shortly after one o'clock in the morning, the New York Police Department storms the place. Raid! Just like many times before at the Stonewall Inn. The reason is always the same: the bar's clientele. Lesbians, gay men, drag queens and trans people are among the regulars; homosexual acts are still punishable by law in large parts of the USA at this time.

But something was different that night. For the first time, the bar's patrons fought back against the police, and days of unrest broke out in the city. Today, the Stonewall Riots are regarded as the initial spark for the global movement for queer rights. That June is now celebrated in many countries as Pride Month for the queer community is not only due to the perfect summer weather for colorful demonstrations, but is also a reminder of the queer New Yorkers who fought for their rights in June 1969.

At the end of the 1960s, bars such as the Stonewall Inn were safe spaces for queer people, and over half a century later, many companies also offer safe spaces. At the Lufthansa Group, the queer network Diversifly has been working since 2018 to ensure that queer employees feel comfortable and accepted here.

"Our core task is to ensure that all employees can develop as freely as they want in their professional lives. Quite simply," says Calli ("or Carl-Friedrich, when things get serious") Flothmann, who joined Lufthansa in 2019 and has been one of Diversifly's two main spokespersons since November 2023. "But we also have specific projects at various locations. The cooperation with Aidshilfe Köln, my home city, which we support not only financially, is particularly close to my heart. It's a pleasure to create visibility with people who are also committed to queer diversity. We are also represented at queer job fairs such as Sticks & Stones to answer questions about queer diversity within the Lufthansa Group."

Diversifly is also a direct point of contact for queer Lufthansa team members in conflict situations. "Recently, a person approached us and said, 'I'm currently in a phase where I don't know exactly where my journey with my gender identity is going, but I would be happy if you could accompany me'," says Fabian Kieper, who has been with Lufthansa since 2012 and is the other half of the Diversifly dual leadership team. "I saw that as a vote of confidence in the network, in its professionalism, and in the people at Diversifly."

The company's psychosocial service is now approaching Diversifly, asking for support and advice, says Flothmann. "People come to us and report cases where statements are made in everyday working life that are simply not right. Period. Of course, it's a shame that such incidents are still a reality, but it's nice that we have this position in the company rather than image of the gay party network that drinks champagne at Christopher Street Day and listens to the No Angels - well, the latter is true."

In June 2024, countless Pride demonstrations will once again commemorate the Stonewall uprising 55 years ago – and today they are even more important than in the recent past. For the first time, studies in Western countries are again recording a decline – albeit a slight one – in acceptance of queer rights such as same-sex marriage. Pride is more than just a party, it is also always a political protest.

The Lufthansa Group flies the flag at many of these events. The 2024 Pride season opened in Brussels on May 18, and the Lufthansa Group was represented by its network airline Brussels Airlines. "We will be taking part in the Prides in New York and Vienna, the events in Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart and Hamburg will be supported by a network airline, and in Frankfurt and Munich we will be there with the support of Lufthansa. What motivates me every year is that we have familiar faces with us but also always new ones," says Flothmann.

"Of course we celebrate at Pride events, and we don't have to justify that," says Kieper. But he explains what it actually means for queer employees that the Lufthansa Group so openly supports queer rights: "The first time I was on the float, I took my husband with me. Standing there, with the Lufthansa logo on the truck and the T-shirt, and giving my husband a kiss – the fact that this was not frowned upon, but that I felt the support of the company, perhaps even being a bit of a figurehead, was simply very nice and connects you with your employer in a completely new way."

But Lufthansa also had to make a move. "When Diversifly started with a handcart at Frankfurt's Christopher Street Day, we were nowhere near as visible as we are today," says Flothmann. There is now an airplane painted in rainbow colors with Lovehansa on it. "Things that are really visible from the outside."

This also includes Lufthansa campaigns such as "The world says yes to you," which promotes acceptance for the queer community. "Here, the motto of the global Lufthansa campaign 'Say yes to the world' was taken up and turned around, which makes it clear that we really do belong and are considered," says Kieper.

This year's Lufthansa Pride motto once again alludes to the airline's Yes campaign: "All colors on board. yes." Because everyone is welcome at Lufthansa, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity – and this applies not only to customers, but also to employees or those who would like to become one.

"The great thing is that queer people are now actively applying to Lufthansa because they think we are the right employer," says Kieper. "People are looking for what we offer: security and the opportunity to develop. There are still points that we can optimize through Diversifly, but we can see that we have already achieved a lot."