More than 800 L’Oréal employees marched in the WorldPride 2019 parade in New York on Sunday “on behalf of the company’s 86,000 employees around the world and the LGBTQ+ community at large”.

It was the second time the company, which is an official sponsor of WorldPRide, has marched “as one company” in NYC Pride – last year more than 600 employees marched together.

In the leadup to WorldPride 2019, L’Oréal USA launched ‘March for Me’, a digital campaign that invited people from all over the world to “virtually” join the 860 L’Oréal USA employees who are marching in the parade.

The public was invited to take part in the march “virtually” by submitting photos and videos of themselves for the chance to be broadcast on screens on the L’Oréal float.

Launching the campaign L’Oréal Luxe president USA Xavier Vey said the company was aware that “for every LGBTQIA+ individual and ally who will be present at this year’s march, there are many more who would want to march if they could”.

He said the company created ‘March for Me’ to represent those who cannot be at the march in person, but who want to demonstrate their support for the LGTBQIA+ community.

“We celebrate individuality and champion self-expression at L’Oréal which anchors our global mission of Beauty for All,” he said.

“It has been truly energising to see how our employees, led by the OUT@L’Oréal employee think tank and its allies, have worked together to create a platform and campaign that embraces inclusivity at a global scale.

According to Vey, the march is just one example of how L’Oréal USA celebrates the LGBTQ+ community throughout its workforce and across its brands.

The company’s efforts have indeed recently been recognised by organisations like the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which awarded L’Oréal USA a perfect score of 100 in their annual Corporate Equality Index for 2018 and 2019 and named L’Oréal USA as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality”.