Authentically Celebrating Pride Month at Work
Today marks the first day of Pride Month. This month-long celebration shows us just how far we have come as a nation in terms of LGBTQIA+ inclusion. As an inclusive leader, you can ensure that your company is properly celebrating and acknowledging Pride Month in the workplace by implementing some of the following actions this June:
1. Promote the History
Pride Month offers a great opportunity for companies to educate or re-educate their employees over email, through events, or in newsletters on the history of the movement. For example, one notable event worth celebrating is the Stonewall Riots (a riot led by Black trans women), which occurred on June 28, 1969, and which many consider as a pivotal event in the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
2. Evaluate Company Policies
While we have come a long way as a community and nation, there’s still a lot of work to be done to be truly inclusive of our friends, colleagues and family members that are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Companies that celebrate Pride Month should make sure that their company’s health coverage is truly inclusive; for example, does it provide coverage for transition-related treatment? Does your company’s policy manuals include anti-discrimination clauses for members of the queer community? Make sure you provide your employees the opportunity to courageously (and anonymously) give feedback on how the company handles LGBTQIA+ equality and equity in the workplace.
3. Celebrate Virtually
Two years ago, most companies would have celebrated Pride Month in person and shared flyers and events in the break room. Today, companies are re-adjusting their approach to celebrating Pride Month by inviting employees to celebrate virtually. The ideas range from courageous stories of transition/coming out to Pride flag Zoom backgrounds, and keynote events centering members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This article from Power to Fly highlights some of the great ways that companies celebrated in 2020 and might serve as inspiration to you!
4. Partner with an LGBTQIA+ Organization
Many companies partner with the LGBTQIA+ communities through their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. To celebrate the rights movement, try initiating a partnership with a lesser-known nonprofit working to advance queer rights or make a financial contribution to an organization supporting the community.
5. Invite an LGBTQIA+ organization to conduct a D&I awareness training
Combat misinformation and confusion by raising awareness and education among your employees. Bring on board-external consultants or an established organization to conduct diversity awareness training within your workplace. Such an event can help show internal stakeholders how important diversity and inclusion are to the company and the actions that senior leadership members are ready to take to fulfil their mission as inclusive leaders.