How we Move with Pride in Taiwan

At Uber, we reimagine how the world moves for the better, and we believe that everyone has the right to move freely, safely, and without fear or judgment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The same spirit inspired our support of the LGBTQIA+ community in partnership with Taiwan Pride that marked its 21st anniversary this year. Not only did we participate in Asia’s largest Pride parade but we also held a valuable workshop for our employees in the lead up to the event and put our progress towards inclusion to the test as part of the Taiwan LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Workplace Index assessment process.

To learn more about how we’re supporting the LGBTQIA+ community inside and outside of Uber, we sat down with Verity Hsu and Chienya Hsu, both members of our Taiwan Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG).

“I’m the Country Lead for the Pride ERG here in Taiwan, but I actually didn’t know that Uber even had a Pride ERG when I first joined the company! Pride Month was coming up, and myself, Chienya, and a few others wanted to get involved. That was when we discovered that Uber did in fact have a global Pride ERG and we got to see what other Uber offices were doing. After seeing what Uber Brazil did at the LGBT+ Pride Parade in São Paulo, we were determined to make Uber a part of the Taiwan Pride Parade.”

“My experience with joining the ERG was similar to Verity’s. Luckily, we didn’t have to start from scratch since we had a whole host of resources available to us. In fact, last year, we only had about 5 people in the Taiwan Pride ERG. Given last year’s success, we doubled the numbers and had 10 people on the ERG task force to help host a series of events leading up to the Taiwan Pride Parade, plus many more joined for the parade.”

Verity: “In total we mobilized a group of 30 volunteers from across the ERG and the broader Uber Taipei office to help out with set up and hosting of this event. We set up an Uber booth on the parade route so that our employees could interact with participants in the parade and at the Rainbow Market. Participants could take photos with our Uber display and post on social media with the hashtag #MoveWithPride for a chance to win some Uber swag.

One touching moment was when a delivery partner asked if they could buy one of our ‘Move with Pride’ t-shirts because they wanted to wear it while making deliveries, so of course we gifted one! It was so amazing for us to see Uber’s brand value firsthand, and that we can help those who are part of this community feel proud of being who they really are.”

Chienya: We also had an Uber parade float where we invited 3 famous local drag queens to promote Uber discount codes for attendees. If people were feeling tired, they could use an Uber Rides promo code to go home. Or, if they found themselves hungry, they could place an order on Uber Eats using another promo code. It was a super interactive experience, and was very well received! Oh and did I mention that we had another 100 or so Uber employees participate in the parade on top of the volunteers? It was so great to see such a huge amount of support for the Pride community.”

Verity: “This year, our goal was to build a deeper level of engagement with the Pride community so we knew we didn’t want to only participate in the parade. A week before the parade, we hosted a DEI workshop at our office in collaboration with the Taiwan Culture Committee to promote and share what diversity, equity and inclusion means to our people across Uber Taiwan. We invited the Vice President of the Rainbow Platform NGO to help us understand how we can build a better and more inclusive workplace. He spoke about the gender spectrum, the sexual orientation spectrum, as well as taught us ways we could avoid unconscious bias in our daily lives and conversations.” 

Chienya: “Uber Taiwan also recently achieved recognition in the Taiwan LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Workplace Index, an assessment designed to assess the progress of companies when it comes to LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. Uber Taiwan completed the process this year, and were recognized along with a number of other companies at a recent event hosted jointly by The Taiwan Gay and Lesbian Counseling Hotline Association and the Taiwan Rainbow Equality Platform Association in December 2023. Verity also shared the experience of our Pride ERG and how we set up gender neutral bathrooms in our Taipei office.”

Verity: “Uber is a workplace that values safety, equity and diversity. Personally, that is very important to me because I am comfortable with my sexual orientation knowing that I was born to be a lesbian. When I choose a company that I want to work for, I consider whether or not the working environment can provide a safe space for me to be my true and authentic self. Uber is a place where I feel comfortable and safe to just be myself, and that in turn helps me to maximize my potential and talent.”

Chienya: “Other than feeling like you can be your authentic self here at Uber, if you truly want to make an impact on the LGBTQIA+ community, Uber is definitely the place to be. You can find a bunch of resources, join the Pride ERG, and play a part in organizing meaningful events that promote equality and diversity. For many people within our community, having the opportunity to do things like this is really important. We are looking for people who can #MoveWithPride – so if that resonates with you, there is a place for you here at Uber.”

We’re dedicated to supporting our community to live an open and authentic life, to love whomever and however they want, and to feel empowered to speak their truth.

Interested in joining us? Explore open roles in Taiwan