Pride Month is the ultimate time to pull out all of the stops to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, and to make sure your team members feel loved, accepted, and appreciated. But creating LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace shouldn’t only be a one-month endeavor. Au contraire, it should be a 24/7/365 movement, which fosters an ongoing environment that embraces and accepts diversity.

Pride Month (observed in June) is usually the only time of year when companies really show their visible support for the LBGTQ community. And while throwing your team the ultimate Pride Fest celebration is sure to really leave them totally floored, celebrating Pride month shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace. 

Instead, leaders should take real, concrete steps to create a wholly inclusive community that embraces and accepts the LGBTQ community fully, all year long.

It’s no small undertaking, but we’ve got you covered. 

 

What’s The Deal With The LGBTQ Community In The Workplace?

During Pride season, there’s a ton of focus on celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, loudly, proudly, and colorfully. 

But during all the fanfare & festivities, it’s still important to remember that the origins of the gay rights movement in America came from a very dark point in history for this community, and that things are definitely not all said and done when it comes to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion. 

That includes in the workplace.

In order to realize the importance of LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace, it’s crucial to understand where we are today, and how we got here.

Let’s hit it briefly: the modern gay rights movement is often traced back to the Stonewall Riots in 1969, where a police raid of a gay bar led to days of riots across New York City. 

But Stonewall was really just the tipping point: prior to this, the LGBTQ community had faced oppressive laws and societal discrimination. In the 1950’s, President Eisenhower banned gay people from serving in federal government positions, and the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance, which could be treated.

After Stonewall, many LGBTQ+ rights organizations were formed, and the tides started to shift, albeit slowly and still painfully. In the 1970’s, the Rainbow Flag was first flown in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Parade, and in the 1980’s, homosexuality was finally completely removed from the APA list of mental disorders. 

While there have been big strides made since this point in history, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community is far from a thing of the past, and that includes in the workplace. Research tells us that the LGBTQ community is “underrepresented in the workplace,” that they “are more likely to experience microaggressions,” and that they often “feel unable to talk openly and comfortably about themselves.”

The bottom line: there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace, and it’s up to leaders and decision-makers to foster this environment for their people.

 

Getting It Done: How To Make LGBTQ Inclusion A Reality

So, you want to create LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace all year round, but you’re not sure where to start. There are many ways to tackle this issue, but here are some ideas to get you started.

  • Take a look at your policies: A great place to start with LGBTQ inclusion is with your company policies, which should be completely inclusive. For example, policies around dress codes should be gender-neutral, employees should be allowed (and encouraged) to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, and there should be a visible zero-tolerance approach when it comes to harassment, discrimination, and bullying.
  • And your benefits: Company benefits should be LGBTQ+ inclusive, and these benefits should be advertised. That means things like paid family leave and inclusive health coverage for people regardless of sex or gender. 
  • Normalize pronouns: Creating a space that is inclusive means that everyone is free to be who they are. Set an example for your team by normalizing pronoun use, and preferred-name use. A great place to implement this is in email signatures, and even allies can adopt this practice to make everyone feel comfortable.
  • Offer training (but not your grandma’s training): Workplace training might sound a little cringy, but you can take a totally practical and custom approach to LGBTQ+ training in the workplace. For example, you can offer sessions on LGBTQ+ terms and definitions, implicit bias training, and sessions on practical allyship. You can also offer standardized training to new hires, and then create opportunities for ongoing training and learning. 
  • Leave it up to your employees: When it comes to sexuality and gender expression, leave everything up to the discretion of your employees. For example, don’t simply announce the gender transition of an employee, just because the employee shared their transition with you. Ask the employee how they would like to approach the situation, or if they even want to at all. And of course, definitely don’t “out” anyone. Remember that employees might share things with leadership or HR that they may not want to share with the rest of the team. If you’re ever not sure, ask. 
  • Hire with the LGBTQ+ community in mind: Creating LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace doesn’t only have to happen with your current team members, and your hiring practices should also be in alignment with this ideology. Make sure you’re using gender-neutral language in your job descriptions, encourage employees to share their preferred name and pronouns during the hiring process, and highlight employee benefits and resources for the LGBTQ+ community in your hiring materials.
  • Provide opportunities for community support & celebration (all year long): No one at your organization should feel alone or isolated, and the LGBTQ+ community should have opportunities to connect and celebrate, no matter what month it is. Create opportunities for your LGBTQ community and allies to get to know one another, feel like they have opportunities to share, and simply have some fun. You can hold LGBTQ+ events outside of Pride month (such as virtual events) and bring in guest speakers from support and educational organizations, for example.

 

How Virtual Pride Events Can Help

LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace year-round is something that takes effort from leaders and decision-makers, but it’s effort that is well worth it, because these shifts can mark a permanent change in your company culture.

When it comes to celebrating your LGBTQ+ community and creating opportunities to connect and unwind, our virtual team builders are the perfect fit, especially our virtual Pride events. 

Our virtual Pride events were developed specifically for teams to celebrate Pride in a loud, colorful, and HR-friendly way. Think drag queens, sass, LGBTQ+ history, and high-energy Pride karaoke, in the workplace. What could be better than that?

This Pride season, we have 10 incredible Pride offerings that are led by LGBTQ+ hosts and drag performers, and they’re bound to not only leave your team wildly entertained, but also to help foster that ultra-important culture of LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace. 

Interested in learning more? Book a demo with one of our Account Managers. We’ll give you a walkthrough of all your options and help you plan your awesome Pride event!