Thank you for taking the time to share your experience—I’m really sorry to hear that you came away from the process feeling this way. Discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of gender identity, goes completely against our values as a company. We are deeply committed to providing a recruitment experience that is inclusive, respectful, and fair for everyone. This is something I care about personally, especially in my role where I often speak on behalf of BrightLocal. Our team is made up of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, and we’re proud of the diverse, supportive culture we’ve built—one that includes and celebrates the LGBTQ community. As our interview was a phone conversation, I had no way of knowing anything beyond what was shared in your CV and during our chat. As you mentioned, it was a positive and enjoyable conversation, which I genuinely appreciated. We’re fortunate to receive a high volume of applications for our roles, which means our shortlisting process after first-round interviews can be particularly competitive. That said, I understand how disappointing it can be not to move forward, and I’m truly sorry if the outcome felt impersonal or left you feeling undervalued. Thank you again for your feedback—it’s something we take seriously and will continue to reflect on as we work to improve.