“How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race?” — Marsha P. Johnson, trailblazing African-American activist who was dedicated to social justice for the LGBTQ+ community
The newest SEMI Foundation workforce development initiative, Semiconductor PRIDE, is a visionary coalition of SEMI member companies working to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion throughout the semiconductor industry.
The concept of Semiconductor PRIDE dates to the summer of 2023, when Adri Platt, Contract Manager of Global Supply Equipment and Materials at Intel, reached out to semiconductor industry partners to support a proposal for the 2023 Out & Equal Workplace Summit, the largest LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion event in the world with over 3,000 business leaders, employers, LGBTQ+ employees and others in attendance.
The proposal was to host a panel at the summit focused on efforts to strengthen semiconductor industry inclusion, share LGBTQ+ equity best practices, and outline next steps to create an LGBTQ+ initiative to support employees in the semiconductor industry. The panel, held in Orlando, Florida in September 2023, was attended by dozens of people. It was from that panel, which featured speakers from ASML, Intel, Lam Research and Micron, that the idea of Semiconductor PRIDE was born.
Today, Adri and I serve as co-chairs of a Semiconductor PRIDE working group comprised of participants from that panel as well as additional SEMI member companies: Applied Materials, Axcelis, Brooks Automation, Cadence Design Systems, EMD Electronics, GlobalFoundries, KLA, Nikon Precision, Rockwell Automation, Synopsys, TEL and WGNSTAR.
Caleb Edwards at the 2023 Out & Equal Workplace Summit accepting the Workplace Excellence Outie Award on behalf of Micron Technology
My Journey
Since October 2019, I have been a leader in Micron’s PRIDE+Allies employee resource group (ERG), including serving as the global lead of the ERG. I stepped into the role of co-chair for Semiconductor PRIDE to further our efforts to promote LGBTQ+ equity within Micron and to support the broader semiconductor ecosystem. As an openly cisgender (when a person’s gender identity corresponds to their sex as assigned at birth) gay man, this work is personal. It’s personal not only for me, but for the friends and colleagues who have inspired me, challenged me to learn more and broadened my awareness of the entire LGBTQ+ community.
I am passionate about supporting organizations committed to creating safe workplace communities for LGBTQ+ employees. One example is Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM), a nonprofit that is the largest chapter-based organization (with over 100 chapters at colleges and universities) focused on LGBTQ+ people in STEM. Over the past two years, I have had the honor of representing Micron at oSTEM’s annual conferences, attended by thousands of LGBTQ+ students from around the country seeking STEM degrees. When I attended oSTEM’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, California in November 2023, I saw firsthand why creating safe workplaces matters.
The students I met were innovative, wise, and courageous – the very types of students that companies like Micron and our industry peers want to hire. However, they sought out well-known employers and industries that are seen as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Often the semiconductor industry does not appear to be considered a top-tier choice because of a lack of awareness among students, specifically related to cultures of LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Students do not recognize the semiconductor industry as a natural career choice, nor do they recognize semiconductor companies as trailblazers in LGBTQ+ workplace equity. Micron’s representation at oSTEM, along with several of our industry peers, is a small step to encourage LGBTQ+ representation within our industry. Imagine what we can do together, through initiatives like Semiconductor PRIDE, to bolster the talent pipeline for the massive chip manufacturing expansions that have been announced throughout the U.S.
Caleb Edwards at oSTEM’s Annual Conference in Boston, MA in 2022 (left) and Anaheim, CA in 2023 (right)
Why This Matters
The LGBTQ+ community is being negatively targeted in this country. In 2023, we saw over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in U.S. state legislatures, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Not all bills were signed into law; however, they all send negative signals to the LGBTQ+ community and reinforce negative stereotypes and biases in people outside our community. When people feel that their rights and liberties or those of their family members are threatened, many will begin to look for employment and residence in states that feel more welcoming and inclusive. Over time, this could have a significant impact on employers. It is up to all of us, regardless of where we are located, to create environments and cultures that support all people within our workplaces, even when we can’t promise them safety in the community.
Multiple reports have shown that Gen Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) adults are increasingly identifying as LGBTQ+, a stark contrast from previous generations. This underscores the importance of attracting and retaining LGBTQ+ talent. The formation and strategy of Semiconductor PRIDE is an important next step toward creating a more inclusive industry.
We understand that companies across the semiconductor industry are at different stages in their journeys toward LGBTQ+ workplace equality, and we encourage continued progress to support current and future LGBTQ+ semiconductor professionals. We also acknowledge the individual efforts that have brought us to this point, and we are grateful for the partnership of the SEMI Foundation, industry volunteers, and founding members.
Get Involved in Semiconductor PRIDE
The SEMI Foundation launched a webpage to showcase the mission and goals of Semiconductor PRIDE, and we invite employees from all SEMI member companies to engage with us. Our inaugural event is a webinar that resonates with the theme of SEMICON West 2024 – Stronger Together. This webinar, hosted by Intel and scheduled for June 13, 2024 during Pride Month, will feature Patrick Gillen, Apprenticeship Administrator at the SEMI Foundation as the moderator.
A distinguished panel, including representatives from LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at Cadence Design Systems, Intel, Lam Research and WGNSTAR, will discuss what sets Semiconductor PRIDE apart from other LGBTQ+ organizations. Panelists will outline our aspirations, our strategies for achieving them, ways the semiconductor industry workforce can contribute, and how companies can support LGBTQ+ identifying employees. For more information and registration details, please click here.
Additionally, Semiconductor PRIDE will be prominently featured in the Workforce Development Pavilion at SEMICON West, contributing to the first day’s agenda, which is focused on fostering an inclusive and equitable workforce. For an overview of workforce development sessions including the Semiconductor PRIDE panel organized by the SEMI Foundation, please visit the event website.
Through Semiconductor PRIDE, we aim to make a positive difference in the lives of our LGBTQ+ colleagues. We look forward to the future and envision a world not just full of rainbows, but full of inclusive workplaces that encourage LGBTQ+ people to thrive.
About Caleb Edwards
Caleb Edwards (he/him), a U.S. Navy Veteran, holds the role of Senior R&D Operations Supervisor at Micron Technology. Leading a diverse team of Manufacturing Engineers and Technicians, he specializes in driving automation and efficiency gains in an R&D semiconductor fabrication plant. Caleb is the former Global Lead of the PRIDE+Allies ERG at Micron. With an AAS in Small Group Management and a BS in Organizational Management, he is actively pursuing an MBA in Engineering Management. Caleb can be found on LinkedIn.
