Jaguar Land Rover vehicles spirited Michelle Visage & other grand marshals along New York’s Pride parade route

Pride Sunday in New York City is a dazzling display of the joy of community.

But if you were one of the 2.5 million people who thronged the streets of Manhattan for this year’s NYC Pride March, you mostly likely spotted another highlight: the sweet Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) rides chauffeuring 2024 grand marshals Baddie Brooks, DaShawn Usher, Eshe Ukwell, Michelle Visage, Miss Major, Robin Drake, and Raquel Willis along the route.

Drake and Brooks shouted out their pride from the windows of a Velocity Blue Jaguar F-PACE SUV. Miss Major waved from the front seat of a white 2024 Jaguar F‑TYPE convertible while Willis, Usher, and Visage each cruised the parade route perched on the backseats of their own Jaguar F‑TYPE convertibles.

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Custom NYC Pride decals in rainbow colors made the enviable vehicles even more stylish, each featuring the grand marshals’ names.  

And that wasn’t the extent of JLR’s presence in the NYC Pride March this year. Members of the company’s North American workforce marched alongside the Defender 110 model in dreamy rainbow colors — a custom wrap made exclusively for NYC Pride 2024 — that undoubtedly gave onlookers a healthy case of vehicular envy.

“The NYC Pride March is the largest celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride across North America,” JLR North America’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Charlotte Blank said in a statement ahead of NYC Pride this year. “We’re honored to once again accompany this year’s trailblazing grand marshals in our iconic Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.”

Anna Budden, JLR’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, said she and her colleagues were thrilled to chauffeur NYC Pride’s grand marshals for the third consecutive year and to embrace inclusion beyond June. 

“Pride at Jaguar Land Rover is more than a day, a march, or a month that’s celebrated,” said Budden. “As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I feel valued at JLR for who I am, year‑round.”

Since 2022, the company has supported NYC Pride by providing Jaguar F-TYPE, Defender, and F-PACE models to chauffer the March’s grand marshals. That first year, NCAA Division I swimmer Schuyler Bailar, Ts Madison, Dominique Morgan, the ACLU’s Chase Strangio, and comedian Punkie Johnson all rode in Jaguar F-TYPE convertibles. 

A year later, Jaguar F-TYPE convertibles carried Billy Porter, Yasmin Benoit, AC Dumlao, Hope Giselle, and Randy Wicker through the streets of Manhattan as the city celebrated Pride 2023. That same year, JLR CEO Adrian Mardell marched alongside more than 100 JLR employees in the Birmingham, U.K. Pride Parade — an event the company has participated in since 2018.

“Pride at Jaguar Land Rover is more than a day, a march, or a month that’s celebrated. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I feel valued at JLR for who I am, year‑round.”

Jaguar Land Rover Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager Anna Budden

JLR’s core values include supporting the community globally. From Canada to the U.K. to the U.S., the brand is a leader in LGBTQ+ allyship. 

“As a company, we are committed to a culture where everyone belongs, and that means ensuring all of our employees, including our LGTBQ+ community, feel supported, heard, and celebrated,” Joe Eberhardt, President and CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said in a 2022 statement. “We could not be prouder to be part of this year’s Pride March.”

The company appointed Budden to her role in 2022 to further JLR’s culture of inclusion. Each Pride Month, she leads programs that engage JLR North America employees in events that encourage authenticity in the workplace.

But as Budden noted this year, Pride isn’t just a seasonal event for JLR.

“Globally, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive culture that supports our LGBTQIA+ colleagues year‑round and ensures that every member of our community feels seen, represented, and heard,” said Budden. 

In 2021, the company implemented a five-year approach to foster a diverse and equitable workplace by 2026. 
The commitment to tenacity and dynamism also translates to the suite of powertrains’ aesthetic, like the new Range Rover Sport Stealth Pack — a cutting-edge design “created for clients looking for a specification which conveys empowerment and strength.” 

Key to JLR’s approach is to appreciate diversity in all its forms. That means listening to and respecting all the voices of its workforce.

In September 2017, the company launched its Pride network — one of JLR’s employee-led inclusion networks — offering a platform for workers to share their ideas and experiences. The same year, JLR became the first automotive manufacturer to join the U.K.’s Stonewall Diversity Champions Program, which helps participating companies create a more inclusive workplace. 

JLR also recognizes International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in May. In March 2019, the company marked International Transgender Visibility Day by launching its “Transitioning at Work” guidelines to ensure that trans employees never experience workplace discrimination.

Jaguar Land Rover’s diversity and inclusion efforts exemplify the company’s commitment to fostering an environment where all people thrive. It’s a challenge, but one that a brand known for its bold, boundary-pushing vehicles like the Range Rover Sport is ready to meet. 

Range Rover Sport’s next-generation Active Noise Cancellation uses cutting-edge audio technology to filter out unwanted road noise, allowing drivers to focus on what’s important. In the same way, JLR has directed its corporate strategy toward listening to its employees and customers.

When drivers get behind the wheel of the Range Rover Sport, they are confident in its on-road performance and commanding all-terrain capability — not to mention its luxury style. 

However, drivers can also be confident in something else, knowing that Jaguar Land Rover shares their values. The cars we drive say a lot about us, and JLR has made it part of its mission to ensure that when people see the Range Rover Sport, they know the brand cares that everyone reaches their authentic potential.

Related:

10 LGBTQ+ Canadian leaders redefining success with pride

Incredibly stylish — not unlike the Range Rover Sport. 

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