Why It’s Important To Celebrate Pride In The Workplace
Happy Pride month friends! If you’ve been following along in our Pride Series, welcome back. And if you are finding this series for the first time through this article, welcome!
Check out my other Pride articles focusing on Using LinkedIn To Find Inclusive Employers and exploring How To Show Your Diversity and Inclusion When Applying To Jobs.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I find it personally and professionally important to celebrate Pride in the workplace. I often find Pride month is a great opportunity to organically bring up and discuss LGBTQ+ history, societal challenges and equal rights with my work colleagues in a way that seems timely and relevant.
I believe Pride helps foster a diverse culture that allows any other diverse member of the community to raise awareness about things that affect them specific to their diversity and it facilitates a more inclusive and open environment amongst colleagues. Here is my take on why celebrating Pride in the workplace is important.
How Does Celebrating Pride Help LBGTQ Employees?
Having a culture that facilitates inclusion and belonging is very important to hiring, promoting and retaining LGBTQ+ employees. Many queer folks will leave good positions because of a bad culture. With the job market being so competitive right now, companies desperately need to retain good talent and having an inclusive culture is a step in doing so.
As an LGBTQ+ person, I feel like I can show up as my authentic self in the office if I know the space is safe and people are supportive. You can still have debates and disagreements in the workplace but keep it respectful and inclusive. Pride is a chance to do just that.
How Does Pride Help Allies?
Intersectionality is a very crucial part in creating belonging in a work culture. While June is Pride month, there are many other months throughout the year that focus on other underrepresented demographics such as women or Latinx.
So it’s important for LGBTQ+ allies to see the inclusion and belonging in Pride month and hopefully see that carry over into other months that hit closer to home for them. Representation and visibility matter in the workplace. Show people a diverse, inclusive, equitable culture and it will lead to belonging.
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How Pride Educates and Fosters Inclusion
Many non-queer people are afraid to ask questions about queer culture in fear they might offend someone or ask something inappropriate. Taking the month to educate yourself through media such as documentaries, social media or news articles is a great way non-queer people can become more inclusive.
The more you learn about something, the less intimidating it becomes. Once people meet a queer person, get to know them, learn their life story, meet their partner or integrate into the work or personal life, that relationship with grow deeper whereby allowing the non-queer person to ask more deeper questions and learn more naturally.
Should You Celebrate Pride With Remote or Virtual Employees?
Yes! There are many ways employers can get involved with Pride virtually. Hosting a book club or podcast club where colleagues read a book or listen to a podcast and then someone leads a group discussion is a low cost/zero cost way of facilitating a dialogue virtually.
People could watch a movie and chat about it. People could support a local LGBTQ+ business or nonprofit. You could even volunteer with HRC throughout the year!
Not all advocacy and ally work takes place in-person. So get creative with how your organization can celebrate Pride!
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
