Fostering Inclusive Workplaces Amid Changing Times: Baltic Pride 2025 Conference

6 June 2025 marked a pivotal moment for equality and diversity in the workplace as the international Baltic Pride 2025 Conference took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva in Vilnius. Titled “Pride for Progress: Shaping Today’s Inclusive Workplace”, the conference united business leaders, policymakers, and LGBTI+ advocates to address challenges and innovations in inclusive employment practices.

Organized by the National LGBTI Rights Organization LGL, the event is part of the broader Baltic Pride 2025 celebrations and comes at a time of political shifts and renewed focus on local DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts.

The program featured a wide range of distinguished speakers and experts. Marie Šafář Postma (Tilburg University) opened with a keynote on the impact of AI on LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion. Austėja Račaitė, Security Training and Awareness Consultant and DE&I Council Member at Danske Bank, addressed evolving gender identities and corporate inclusivity. A major panel on corporate DEI leadership brought together Mariano Andrade Gonzalez (JM), Cindy Pasky (Strategic Staffing Solutions), Christophe Margaine (European Professional Business Network), and Midaugas Šestilo (Swedbank), discussing strategies for moving from commitment to measurable action.

A critical session on inclusive education and workplace culture featured Dr. Dainius Žalimas (Member of the European Parliament), Chloe Lenaerts (Cavaria, Belgium), and Taj Donville-Outerbridge (IGLYO), focusing on the impact of recent legal changes and the path to rebuilding inclusive frameworks.

The event also included a Nordic-Baltic dialogue on youth experiences in the workplace. Jukka Lehtonen (University of Helsinki) delivered a keynote, followed by a discussion with regional experts Jektaterina Tumule (Latvian Centre for Human Rights), Kelly Grossthal (Estonian Centre for Human Rights), and Kári Garðarsson (Samtökin ’78, Iceland).

Further insights were shared by Monika Antanaitytė (LGL) on new opportunities for LGBTIQ employers and communities, and Arvydas Makselis (Moody’s Lietuva) spoke on leadership with pride and authenticity in professional settings.

The conference opened with welcome remarks from several high-level officials, including Laura Rissanen, State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security of Finland; Anne Lindboe, Mayor of Oslo; Vytautas Mitalas, Vice-Mayor of Vilnius; Dr. Erika Leonaitė, Head of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania; Thorsten Afflerbach, Head of the Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes Division at the Council of Europe; and Vladimir Simonko, Executive Director of the National LGBTI Rights Organization LGL.

An important highlight of the day was the introduction of PrideCareer.lt, a new networking and job-matching platform designed to connect inclusive employers with LGBTI+ professionals across the region.

The event concluded with networking, refreshments, and a shared commitment to transforming symbolic gestures into concrete progress toward inclusive and equitable workplaces.