In this article we will be covering 4 ways that you can promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, while also celebrating Pride Month.
June is already here, and that means it’s officially Pride Month. I’m sure you’ve all seen the rise in rainbow logos, and Pride festivities going on around the country already. Not only is this a month to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities, but it’s also a prime time to remind everyone (employers, especially) about how much diversity and inclusivity actually matter in the workplace.
So, in this article we will be covering 4 ways that you can promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, while also celebrating Pride Month.
Note: If this is your company’s first year to try to celebrate Pride Month, I doubt your employees are expecting a full rainbow explosion. Make sure that your efforts still align with your culture, values, and brand. Any effort you make towards improving empathy, awareness, and understanding will contribute to an environment where all employees can feel safe and thrive.
1. Recognize Pride Month
Some companies change their logos on social media to rainbow colors, or create rainbow versions of their products. There are tons of mainstream companies on social media specifically promoting their Pride Month products, and we admire their value for inclusivity. However, make sure that if you’re going to recognize Pride Month, you should also be fully aware of what it means to be an ally.
**A 365-day-a-year plan for LGBTQ+ inclusion should be the priority over a one-month Pride campaign.**
Some simple ways you could recognize Pride Month include:
- Create Pride Month backgrounds for video calls
- Invite employees to add their pronouns to their email signatures
- Promote a playlist of music made entirely by gay artists and gay music icons
2. Create an Inclusive Culture
If your company is going to celebrate Pride Month, you’ll want to make sure your workplace culture is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Your LGBTQ+ employees will feel safer, be more productive, and will be able to develop strong work relationships.
If your company culture is not quite as inclusive as you hope, you can still celebrate Pride Month individually by doing what’s discussed in this article.
3. Expand Your Training
An easy way to bring up the conversations surrounding Pride Month is to start training. You’ll want to make sure the training courses you choose support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Encourage employees and co-workers to do some learning on their own so that they’re comfortable exploring content of their choosing.
Some other training topics might include:
- Emotional Intelligence
- Social Awareness
- Empathy
- Unconscious bias
- Change Management
- What is Privilege?
4. Donate to an LGBTQ+ Charity
Your company doesn’t have to do a big, public-facing Pride campaign to show their support, they could simply donate to the cause.
Here are some charities you might consider:
- The Trevor Project - targeted towards helping LGBTQ+ youth
- Out & Equal Workplace Advocates - helps exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality
- Human Rights Campaign - works locally, nationally, and globally to help with inequality on all fronts