Sandra Hoestermann-Schuettler had a clear wish: to involve Siemens Energy at Christopher Street Day (CSD) events across Germany – the annual European LGBTQ+ celebrations. Leadership in her local Munich office was quick to support her, but Sandra knew that this was only the first step. The dates for the CSD parades in Munich, Nuremberg and Erlangen were rapidly approaching, and the questions were piling up. What if she couldn’t spark sufficient interest among her colleagues? How would she coordinate with teams in different cities? By working closely with people in the organization, Sandra achieved her aim, and, in the process, amplified the good energy found at Siemens Energy to CSD events around the world.
“After we had the permission to do this, I was more or less thinking, ‘Okay, well then we have to do something more. We should be even more visible,’” says Sandra. “I was a bit afraid that I would be there together with maybe two or three people… but then I said, ‘Okay, what the heck, just do it!’” In collaboration with the Communications department, Sandra created a rainbow-themed banner for the occasion. And she didn’t stop there. “We organized these t-shirts—that was also one of the activities—we bought 500 of them and shipped them all over the world.” Together with her colleagues, Sandra distributed the t-shirts to Siemens Energy staff in Germany, the UK, Mexico and the US – ensuring that they would be kitted out for future pride and CSD engagements.
So, how exactly did all these moving pieces come together? Sandra puts it nicely: “I got the impression that if you want to do something and if you put time towards it and are willing to engage in it, to organize something and spend time on it, then you can do it.” It’s that simple!
Sandra’s lasting impression was one of joy, pride and Good Energy. “There were people standing at the sidewalk and they were cheering and saying: ‘Hey, Siemens Energy, you’re so cool!’” she says of the CSD Munich parade. “It's just something that you never get to hear throughout the whole year.”
