LSEG Ring the Bell for LGBTIQ+ Equality
This week, the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) proudly joined stock exchanges around the world in hosting a special Market Close ceremony to mark the second annual “Ring the Bell for LGBTIQ+ Equality” initiative.
Hosted in partnership with Deutsche Bank, the ceremony forms part of a coordinated global effort by stock exchanges to highlight the role capital markets and businesses can play in fostering inclusive, equitable economic environments for LGBTIQ+ individuals.
The initiative is led and supported by UN Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSE), the UN Global Compact (UNGC), Koppa – The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab, and Open for Business, and is held in observance of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
As the market closed, the ceremony was accompanied by a special performance of Defying Gravity from Elphaba, direct from Wicked in the West End, bringing a powerful and celebratory close to the trading day, setting the tone for the conversations that followed.
The event continued with a panel discussion bringing together senior leaders from across sectors, sharing perspectives shaped by both institutional insight and lived experience. Speakers included Rebecca Short, Group Chief Operating Officer at Deutsche Bank; Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the British Museum; Sunny Mann, Chair at Baker McKenzie; Prakash Kakkad, Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary at Unilever; Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, and Fabrice Houdart of Koppa; and Richard Beaven, CEO of the Pension Protection Fund, and Sandi Toksvig, Broadcaster.
The discussion underscored a clear and consistent message: inclusion is both a social responsibility and a business imperative, central to building stronger organisations and more resilient markets.
Find out more about the 2026 Ring the Bell for LGBTIQ+ Equality initiative.
