Moving Beyond Rainbows: Planning for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Year-Round Inclusion
As LGBTQ+ Pride Month approaches in June, organizations have an opportunity to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in meaningful and impactful ways. While changing a company logo to a rainbow during Pride Month is a visible sign of inclusion, it is crucial for organizations to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the year. This is especially important in light of the current legislative landscape, with a staggering 484 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the United States [source: ACLU]. These bills underscore the ongoing challenges and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community, making it imperative for organizations to go beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete actions to create inclusive environments.
This blog post will be presented in two parts, each focusing on distinct yet interconnected areas: inclusively celebrating LGBTQ+ history and achievements and moving beyond rainbows to foster year-round inclusion.
Part 1: Inclusively Celebrating LGBTQ+ History and Achievements
As organizations plan for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and embrace year-round inclusion, it's essential to honor and celebrate the robust history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community in inclusive and meaningful ways. Here are some strategies to ensure that celebrations are intersectional, diverse, and historically grounded:
Intersectional Celebrations: Acknowledge and celebrate the diverse intersections of identities within the LGBTQ+ community, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and more. Incorporate intersectional perspectives into Pride Month events, discussions, and initiatives to ensure inclusivity and representation for all LGBTQ+ individuals.
Diverse Representation: Ensure that Pride Month celebrations and activities showcase diverse representation across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Highlight the contributions, experiences, and achievements of LGBTQ+ individuals from various backgrounds, communities, and identities. Encourage diverse voices to share their stories and perspectives during Pride Month events and initiatives.
Historical Recognition: Take the time to educate employees and stakeholders about the historical milestones, struggles, and achievements of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Incorporate historical context into Pride Month programming, including discussions, documentaries, guest speakers, or educational resources highlighting key moments in LGBTQ+ history.
Inclusive Art and Culture: Showcase LGBTQ+ art, literature, music, films, and cultural expressions that reflect the diversity and richness of the community. Host art exhibits, film screenings, book clubs, or cultural performances that celebrate LGBTQ+ creativity and contributions to arts and culture.
Community Engagement: Collaborate with local LGBTQ+ organizations, historians, activists, and community leaders to co-create Pride Month events and initiatives. Involve LGBTQ+ community members in planning and organizing celebrations to ensure authenticity, relevance, and community engagement.
Honor LGBTQ+ Trailblazers: Recognize and honor LGBTQ+ trailblazers, leaders, activists, and advocates who have made significant contributions to advancing LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Host awards ceremonies, panel discussions, or virtual tributes to celebrate their impact and legacy.
By incorporating these strategies into Pride Month planning, organizations can create meaningful, inclusive, and impactful celebrations that honor the diverse history, achievements, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community
Part 2: Key Steps for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Year-Round Inclusion
The second part of this blog post will explore the key steps organizations can take to support LGBTQ+ Pride Month effectively while also emphasizing the importance of ongoing inclusion efforts throughout the year. We’ll highlight strategies for education, policy review, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices, advocacy, fostering inclusive cultures, and measuring progress.
Educate and Train: Provide diversity and inclusion training for employees at all levels, focusing on LGBTQ+ awareness, terminology, allyship, and creating inclusive spaces. Encourage ongoing learning and dialogue about LGBTQ+ issues.
Review Policies and Benefits: Evaluate company policies, benefits, and practices to ensure they are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ employees. This includes non-discrimination policies, gender-neutral language, healthcare coverage for transgender individuals, and family leave policies that recognize diverse family structures.
Amplify LGBTQ+ Voices: Create platforms and opportunities for LGBTQ+ employees to share their experiences, insights, and perspectives. Celebrate LGBTQ+ achievements and contributions within the organization and the broader community.
Support LGBTQ+ Organizations: Partner with and support LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, nonprofits, and community organizations through sponsorships, volunteering, and fundraising efforts. Engage in meaningful collaborations that benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
Engage in Advocacy: Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality both internally and externally. Stay informed about legislative developments impacting the LGBTQ+ community and actively support initiatives that promote inclusivity and social justice.
Foster Inclusive Cultures: Cultivate a culture of belonging where LGBTQ+ employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Address bias, discrimination, and harassment proactively and transparently.
Measure Progress: Establish metrics and indicators to track progress on LGBTQ+ inclusion initiatives. Solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ employees and stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of DEI efforts and identify areas for improvement.
By incorporating these strategies into year-round inclusion efforts, organizations can create meaningful, inclusive, and impactful celebrations that honor the diverse history, achievements, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.
Resources:
myGwork. (2024). WorkPride by myGwork
This global 5-day Pride event (June 17-21, 2024) offers a variety of webinars with selected topics that are incredibly timely and relevant. WorkPride is a global virtual Pride conference, and the series of events is free for professionals and inclusive employers.
The National LGBTQ Task Force works to advance freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ individuals. Their efforts include policy advocacy, leadership development, and public education to promote social justice and human rights. They organize events like Creating Change, a premier annual conference for LGBTQ activists. The Task Force also offers various resources and tools to support LGBTQ inclusion and rights across different communities and sectors.
The LGBTQ Wall of Honor aims to commemorate LGBTQ activists, artists, and leaders who have significantly contributed to the LGBTQ rights movement.
US Department of State. (2022). LGBTQ+ Pride Month Resource Toolkit.
This toolkit offers a comprehensive set of materials designed to help organizations celebrate and educate about Pride Month, including multimedia content, historical context, and event planning support.
WorkTango. (2024). How to Celebrate Pride Month at Work in 2024
This article provides various ways to celebrate Pride Month, including supporting LGBTQ+ causes and organizing events.
ADP. (2023). How to Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month at Work: 6 Ways.
This article provides several strategies for companies to honor Pride Month effectively and inclusively, including communicating support from leadership, creating safe spaces for Employee Resource Groups, and promoting inclusive language and policies.
Amy C. Waninger. (2023). Pride Month (& Beyond) Action Plan.
This article emphasizes the importance of supporting the LGBTQ+ community not just during Pride Month but throughout the year. It outlines several strategies for creating an inclusive environment in the workplace including inclusive communication, allyship and advocacy, and celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
Out & Equal. (2023). Pride Guide.
The 2024 guide isn’t yet published; however, the 2023 guide is still available and outlines some great ways to offer workplace Pride events. Their website also links to a variety of events, including regional forums.
Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency. (2024). Pride Month Speakers.
This curated list of speakers teaches audiences the value of inclusion, the benefits of which are evident through better team cohesion and workplace productivity.
About ModelExpand
ModelExpand is a strategic workplace advisory firm that helps companies put their ideals into action. We partner with organizations to implement, operationalize, and scale their Culture and People initiatives in a way that improves performance across the organization. The ModelExpand team is composed of people from all walks of life. The diversity of the team’s lived experiences, robust industry knowledge, and research acumen fuel ModelExpand’s innovative and tailored solutions. ModelExpand’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and CultureAmp.
