The screening of a short film documenting the development of gay rights within one of the world’s largest consumer product companies was held Wednesday night for the media in Manhattan at NeueHouse, presented by Great Big Story and Procter & Gamble. The film, The Words Matter: One Voice Can Make a Difference, follows the charge led by former P&G employee, Michael Chanak, who in the Eighties pioneered adding language to P&G’s equal opportunity [EEO] statement of diversity to include sexual orientation. At the time, the AIDS epidemic was rampant and the company had found a niche with a prescription mouthwash it manufactured, Peridex, to people suffering from HIV/AIDS for the treatment of thrush. However, the company had no language protecting the LGBT community within P&G. The film goes on to explain how P&G became one of the first Fortune 500 companies to add sexual orientation to its EEO statement thanks to Michael’s efforts. Following the film, a panel discussed how companies are expected to deliver more change-making efforts these days than government. The panel featured the film’s executive producer and P&G Associate Director Beauty Communications, Brent Miller; William P. Gipson, P&G Chief Diversity Officer & President End-To-End Packaging Transformation; and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist, Gus Kenworthy.