Pride month gives us an opportunity to assess how far we’ve come and strategize on what more needs to be done in the ongoing battle for equality. This month, we’re celebrating our longstanding partnership with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the impact we’ve had together as a result of the overwhelming support from the Lyft community.  

Over the past five years, Lyft and HRC have worked together to advance pro-LGBTQ+ policies. We started by setting an example with our own workplace and company policies, with riders and drivers on our platform, and through our public policy advocacy campaigns. We work hard to achieve a score of 100 on HRC Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index which measures an organization’s policies, practices, and benefits for LGBTQ+ employees - an honor we’ve received since 2017. 

Round Up & Donate

To commemorate Pride month, we are featuring HRC in our Round Up & Donate program in the Lyft app, encouraging riders to support equality for the LGBTQ+ community with just one tap.

HRC was one of our first national LyftUp partners. Since 2017, riders have been encouraged to round up their fare to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to the Human Rights Campaign. The Lyft community has donated more than $4.5M during that time to support HRC’s programming and advocacy designed to ensure LGBTQ+ individuals have equal rights under law, particularly those who are most marginalized.

Transgender Justice Initiative

Recently, we partnered with HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative to provide free transportation to  transgender and non-binary individuals in need. This initiative was launched in response to a disturbing epidemic of violence against the Black and Brown transgender community and it is helping them with the daily activities that many of us take for granted.

“The Lyft codes helped folks leave domestic violence, get to work, job interviews, school, doctor’s visits, grocery shopping, and even a health emergency where a daughter had a severe asthma attack while mom was at work. So in all cases it was life-changing, but for some it was life-saving,” said Quentin Bell, the Executive Director of The Knights & Orchids Society, a southern-centered grassroots startup focused on gender justice and LGBTQ+ visibility.

Ongoing efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community

Lyft is committed to creating a safe and inclusive community in which all drivers and riders are treated with respect and dignity. We support the rights of individuals to express their true identities - a value that is reflected in our features and policies.

Driver support: 

Lyft makes it easy for transgender drivers to change their name or profile picture in the Lyft app. Our support team is in direct contact with drivers to answer questions and assist in the process. We understand that this process is complex and varies by state, but we want our drivers to be able to embrace their true identities as quickly as possible. That means using their preferred names. That’s why Lyft does not require proof of a legal name change for transgender individuals - many of whom have been driving with Lyft before they began transitioning - to make this change. 

Our partnership with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) offers support and resources to U.S.-based drivers who are transitioning. We provide active drivers with access to one-on-one guidance from NCTE, as well as $200 in financial assistance to help them cover the cost of name change fees. Interested Lyft drivers may apply here through the end of 2022.

Pronouns:

In 2019, Lyft became the first rideshare network to offer pronouns options in our rider app in the U.S. and Canada. This feature is available to both riders and drivers. 

This past International Pronouns Day, Lyft launched an awareness campaign in partnership with several LGBTQ+ artists. Each artist created license plates featuring custom art that reflected the artists’ relationships with their own pronouns, and were auctioned off to support HRC and National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), with Lyft donating $50,000 each to these two organizations. 

Standing up for equal rights

Lyft also uses its voice to speak up about policies that affect the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ drivers, riders, and staff. Over the years, we have advocated for fair and equal protection of the LGBTQ+ community under the law through the Business Coalition for the Equality Act, by joining amicus briefs in important LGBTQ+ court cases such as Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, and by opposing laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals. 

This month, and every month, we’re committed to finding even more ways to advance LGBTQ+ equality – in our workforce, on our platform, and in our communities.