Powered by Diversity: Celebrating Pride and Building Visibility in the Power Sector

June marks Pride Month – a time to celebrate the resilience, contributions, and visibility of the LGBTQI+ community. At the Australian Power Institute (API), we recognise that supporting diversity in all forms is not only the right thing to do, but critical to ensuring the future strength, innovation, and fairness of Australia’s power sector. 

This year, we’ve taken a symbolic step forward by incorporating the rainbow into our logo for a week during Pride Month – a first for the API. It’s a small but important gesture to affirm our commitment to a more inclusive industry, one that truly reflects the communities we serve. 

As our CEO, Dr David Pointing, shared: 

“The strength of the Australian power sector lies in its embrace of diversity – we are and must be ‘powered by diversity’ so we can harness the varied and creative thinking and capabilities of all Australians in our communities to achieve the huge transformations needed in our energy systems to achieve a sustainable future, and so we can ensure we are offering equitable opportunities for everyone in our communities.” 

In one word, what does Pride Month mean to you?

We know that Pride isn’t just about logos or hashtags – it’s about action, visibility, and ongoing allyship. While API doesn’t yet run specific programs for the LGBTQI+ community, we are committed to amplifying the voices of diverse professionals in our industry. This includes celebrating intersectional identities, such as First Nations peoples, people with different abilities, and others whose stories deserve to be seen and heard. 

So here’s our call to action: 

We’re inviting members of the power community to help us build greater visibility by contributing to our Powered by Diversity profile series. If you identify as LGBTQI+, are a First Nations person, live with a disability, or bring another unique perspective to your work in energy – we want to share your story. 

Share your story here: https://apiforms.wufoo.com/forms/z1exwytw1shc84q/    

We also welcome ideas from our community on how we can better support diversity across our programs and platforms – whether through inclusive language, cultural celebrations, or deeper partnerships with our members already leading the way in LGBTQI+ inclusion. 

Let’s make sure the next generation of power professionals can see themselves in our industry. 

🌈 Get in touch with us at info@api.edu.au or drop us a message via our website to express interest or learn more. 

Together, we can build a future that is truly powered by diversity.