Press Release

Pride Month is an opportunity for self-affirmation, acceptance and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or stand in support as an ally, ADUSA Procurement appreciates your participation in this celebration of love, equality anPride Month is an opportunity for self-affirmation, acceptance and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or stand in support as an ally, ADUSA Procurement appreciates your participation in this celebration of love, equality and respect for all. We were pleased to sit down with ADUSA Procurement’s Ben Lawrence, Manager of Demand Forecasting supporting the Stop & Shop brand, and learn a little bit more about his journey.  

Based in the Quincy, Mass., office, Ben is responsible for leading a dynamic team that manages forecasts for Stop & Shop’s weekly ad and its weekly distributions.  

Ben said he was fortunate to have an active support system throughout his life as a gay man.  

“I haven’t had the same struggles that many members of the LGBTQ+ community experience thanks to a very welcoming family, the positive atmosphere that I grew up in and the many people who came before me and advocated for equal rights,” he said.  

While Ben is appreciative of his situation, he knows the importance of listening to others with the goal of understanding them. He noted that empathy is critical. 

“I certainly can’t walk in everyone shoes,” he said. “I’m a different size and I simply wouldn’t fit in some other peoples’ shoes. There are some shoes I wouldn’t want to step in – and that’s alright. You have to say, ‘OK, I can’t live your life, but I can be here to listen to you and attempt to understand and appreciate what your life’s experiences bring to the table.’” 

Ben also shared the importance of embracing the entire LGBTQ+ community. 

“It would be easy to lump the broader LGBTQ+ community members together, but we need to learn and understand each individual group – including lesbian, transgender, pansexual and intersex,” he said.  

Ben mentioned that while many Pride celebrations are on hold or scaled down in 2021 due to COVID-19, he celebrates by traveling to Provincetown, Mass., where there is a very active LGBTQ+ community.  

“In Provincetown, pretty much every day is Pride,” he shared. “A lot of things that are big Pride Month events elsewhere are just everyday life in Provincetown. It’s a great place where I feel welcomed and loved.” 

d respect for all. We were pleased to sit down with ADUSA Procurement’s Ben Lawrence, Manager of Demand Forecasting supporting the Stop & Shop brand, and learn a little bit more about his journey.  

Based in the Quincy, Mass., office, Ben is responsible for leading a dynamic team that manages forecasts for Stop & Shop’s weekly ad and its weekly distributions.  

Ben said he was fortunate to have an active support system throughout his life as a gay man.  

“I haven’t had the same struggles that many members of the LGBTQ+ community experience thanks to a very welcoming family, the positive atmosphere that I grew up in and the many people who came before me and advocated for equal rights,” he said.  

While Ben is appreciative of his situation, he knows the importance of listening to others with the goal of understanding them. He noted that empathy is critical. 

“I certainly can’t walk in everyone shoes,” he said. “I’m a different size and I simply wouldn’t fit in some other peoples’ shoes. There are some shoes I wouldn’t want to step in – and that’s alright. You have to say, ‘OK, I can’t live your life, but I can be here to listen to you and attempt to understand and appreciate what your life’s experiences bring to the table.’” 

Ben also shared the importance of embracing the entire LGBTQ+ community. 

“It would be easy to lump the broader LGBTQ+ community members together, but we need to learn and understand each individual group – including lesbian, transgender, pansexual and intersex,” he said.  

Ben mentioned that while many Pride celebrations are on hold or scaled down in 2021 due to COVID-19, he celebrates by traveling to Provincetown, Mass., where there is a very active LGBTQ+ community.  

“In Provincetown, pretty much every day is Pride,” he shared. “A lot of things that are big Pride Month events elsewhere are just everyday life in Provincetown. It’s a great place where I feel welcomed and loved.”