Why Pride 2022 Matters
This article was originally published in the Portland Business Journal. The content was also used for Episode 18, Why Pride 2022 Matters, published on the Imagine Belonging at Work Podcast. To access content like this article, please subscribe to the Belonging at Work Newsletter.
________________________________________________
Pride Month occurs every June 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️! It’s a time to celebrate and amplify the positive contributions LGBTQ+ people have had – and continue to have - on our world.
Make no mistake. The LGBTQ+ movement has made remarkable strides since the Stonewall and Compton Cafeteria Riots of the late 1960s. Tragically, coordinated attacks on these hard-won legal rights and essential protections are sweeping the country and slowly chipping away at our basic human rights.
In 2022 alone, over 300+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in 36 states. The lion’s share of this legislation attempts to dramatically limit transgender children’s ability to participate in sports, utilize the restroom where they feel safest, access medically essential healthcare, and prohibit learning about LGBTQ+ people and our history.
As a business owner, I am deeply alarmed by the negative impact this legislation will have on our future workforce – after all the future of work will be increasingly queer with 1 in 4 Zoomers (Gen Z) expecting to transition genders at some point in their lives, and 1 in 5 young people identifying as LGBTQ+.
It is our responsibility to roll out the welcome mat for our current and future LGBTQ+ colleagues - especially during these very chilling times. Leaders, what if you led? What if you found the words to what so many of us feel in our hearts right now? What if you spoke out by denouncing these harmful bills for what they are – tools intended to sow division and fear?
It’s time for business leaders – and our community as a whole – to give ourselves permission to imagine a world that truly works for all of us. A world where each of us has the agency to determine who we are and who we are becoming as we move into the future of work. The celebration of Pride offers a pathway to establish this vision.
There is so much we can learn from the authenticity, creativity, and resiliency of my fellow LGBTQ+ family and friends. If you’re ready to imagine a world where more of us can fully feel seen, connected, supported, and pride in our work, then please consider taking one, some, or all of these simple, everyday actions during Pride month, and throughout the year:
Continue to Self-Educate. Pride Month is a great time to double down on your personal education about LGBTQ+ people and communities. It’s important that your learning journey doesn’t end in June. Please stay consistent throughout the year and keep showing up where you can learn. The best way to self-educate is to listen, empathize, and engage in other acts of allyship outlined below.
Amplify LGBTQ+ Leaders. Remember that speaking for us isn’t helping us. No one can explain the experiences of your LGBTQ+ colleagues better than we can. When allies try to explain our struggles or act as though they are more familiar than we are, it can invalidate our experiences. Instead, please move back and share some of your relative power and privilege by amplifying our voices, and when necessary, speak alongside us in solidarity.
Rollout the Welcome Mat. If you desire to be an employer of choice, your work is incomplete until you officially rollout the rainbow welcome mat for your current and future LGBTQ+ colleagues. This means that you must consider the experiences of LGBTQ+ people at each touch point a job candidate or employee encounters to identify and upend barriers and biases. Not sure where to begin? See #2 above…
Invest in Our Future. Does your company have a well-defined set of social responsibility commitments or a supplier diversity program inclusive of certified LGBTQ+ businesses? If not, consider making the commitment to invest in LGBTQ+ civil and human rights organizations, and making it known that you’re open to do business with our communities. If you do have current social responsibility investments and a supplier diversity program, align them with your LGBTQ+ commitments.
Celebrating Pride is one of the best ways for you to signal acts of allyship and for your organization to demonstrate its commitment to welcoming, respecting and including your fellow LGBTQ+ colleagues, future talent, and the communities you serve. Remember, while this month is an important one for us, it’s critical that you and your organization maintain the stamina required to honoring these commitments year-round.
For more ideas on how to take personal and organizational actions that will make a world of difference for your LGBTQ+ colleagues, please consider taking this LinkedIn Learning Course, or my company’s 30 Day Pride Challenge. These resources will help you recognize some of the distinct challenges LGBTQ+ employees face in the workplace, and specific actions you can take to begin building a greater sense of safety, trust, and belonging. Happy Pride!
