‘Come As You Are’: How Gaming Company 2K Honors National Coming Out Day Year-round

October 11 marks National Coming Out Day: an homage to the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. An archived pamphlet from the historical gathering reads, in the screaming pink and blue shades of the ’80s:

“For love and for life, we’re not going back!” 

Turn the newsprint page beyond this gripping call to action, and you’ll find blocks of text packed with political context and a numbered list of the movement’s goals. While National Coming Out Day has soared beyond the original demands of the movement to include emerging identities and expanded rights, this powerful leaflet highlights a cornerstone of modern allyship: education. 

Tech companies who strive to support their LGBTQIA+ employees must start by educating themselves and their workforce. To accomplish this, Harvard Business Review recommends “investing in programs that facilitate regular spaces for safe conversations, learning and peer support among LGBTQ+ employees and allies.” It’s how Bay Area gaming company 2K grounds its support for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“To be strong allies, we start by providing access to DEI learning topics — including unconscious bias training, on-demand diversity and gender identity education,” Veronica Dining, senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion, told Built In San Francisco. 

To further enact 2K’s diversity pillar, “come as you are,” the company hosts an LGBTQIA+ employee resource group (ERG) called 2Gether@2K. “This ERG represents our way of nurturing the LGBTQIA+ community, whose intersectional roots reach across all stratas of society,” Dining said.  

From ERGs to inclusive wellness programs, 2K doesn’t stop at honoring its employees on National Coming Out Day. “Recognizing and uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices is important year-round at 2K,” said Dining. Evolving tech companies might take a page from 2K’s deep-rooted inclusion practices as they take up the torch of the modern LGBTQIA+ movement.  

Veronica Dining

Senior Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • 2K

2K is a gaming company that develops and publishes interactive entertainment for video game consoles, personal computers and mobile devices. The Bay Area company is committed to providing an equitable experience for all of its employees, including its LGBTQIA+ community. On the topic of allyship, Veronica Dining, senior director of DEI, told Built In SF that the company is committed to lifelong learning: “2K is constantly evolving to ensure our LGBTQIA+ community feels supported and we’ll continue to explore ways to implement more benefits company-wide.”

What resources, benefits or programs do you have in place to support LGBTQIA+ employees

2K has taken steps to ensure our LGBTQIA+ employees receive equitable access to employee benefits. 2K medical benefits support gender-affirming services as well as non-surgical services — including mental health services, hormone therapy, laboratory services and office visits. 

We provide access to wellness coaching via medical and emotional wellness benefit programs. The coaches and providers associated with Ginger and our EAP plans are qualified to provide support for LGBTQIA+ issues and other topics.

How do you work with LGBTQIA+ employees to ensure they feel heard, supported and included in the workplace?

At 2K, we have focused our culture on allowing everyone to “come as you are.” For us, this means our employees have the right to be their true-selves at work and feel supported to do their best work — free of harassment for their gender identity or sexual orientation. 2K works to empower employees to support one another in building community and their sense of belonging through social events, guest speakers and listening sessions. 

2K closely works with 2Gether@2K members to ensure the LGBTQIA+ employee perspective is integrated into employee program needs and planning. 2K has over 172 2Gether@2K members internationally — including in the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. This allows us to receive feedback and implement change at a global level.

Externally, how does your company support the LGBTQIA+ community?

2K has committed to expanding our partnerships with organizations within the LGBTQIA+ community to further visibility, accessibility and advocacy for industry support of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.