The concept of Pride originally began from a series of riots that were needed to challenge the discrimination, abuse, and injustice directed towards the LGBTQ+ community, and to fight for change.
One of the most recognized riots was the Stonewall Rebellion. The police raids of gay bars around the world followed a harmful system, where police officers would flood into LGBTQ+ ‘safe spaces’, threatening and beating bar staff and customers, and community members would rush out of the bars onto the streets where police would arrest them.
On June 28, 1969, police officers attempted their usual discriminatory process at the Stonewall Inn, New York, but this time things were different. In a moment that would become an impactful movement throughout history, the community fought back and made a clear statement that they would no longer accept this treatment. This event helped to spark the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement, and will remain an inspiring moment of changemaking.
So, as we move into Pride Month as we know it today, and enjoy the colorful decorations, music, and fun performances, it’s important for us to remember LGBTQ+ history, and keep fighting until we reach complete acceptance & allyship.
We see many organizations engaging with Pride Month, but what steps can be taken to ensure that your organization is on the right side of history?
Education & Training
A great way to make your organizational culture more supportive to LGBTQ+ employees and the wider community is to ensure that all team members receive training to learn more about LGBTQ+ history and allyship.
Implementing engaging training can help to educate your team and make your organization more inclusive. The more inclusive your environment, the better you will be at attracting and retaining the top talent, and the more diverse and innovative your team will be.
Internal Employee Support
You may be aware that some of your internal employees are part of the LGBTQ+ community, or you may not know this as many colleagues choose not to disclose this information. It’s important to encourage inclusive conversations within your working environment, and offer a safe space where individuals can discuss challenges, experiences, and get the support they need to thrive at work.
Many organizations find that internal ‘employee resource groups’ (ERG’s) are an effective way to bring employees together to learn and share, ERGs can have specific focuses so introducing an LGBTQ+ ERG can help employees to connect with one another and implement their own initiatives that will drive change.
Equitable Practices
The LGBTQ+ community have historically, and continue to, experience barriers to career progression opportunities. Ensuring that your organization has inclusive internal policies so that all employees from any background or identity can access equitable career support is a great way to improve your culture.
Offering mentorship opportunities for diverse employees, ensuring that your leadership are active allies, and speaking with your team to better understand how you can support them are all examples of steps you can take to drive improvements.
Volunteering For LGBTQ+ Initiatives
As well as working internally to become more inclusive and supportive of diverse employees such as LGBTQ+ team members, organizations can also get involved in an activity or initiative that supports the LGBTQ+ community on a systemic level. This can include volunteering some time for a local organization that helps to address a challenge faced by the community, or spending time joining movements that fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Raising Money For LGBTQ+ Charities
In addition to volunteering some time, organizations can also donate money to LGBTQ+ charities to fund some of the important work that supports the community. If your company is squeezed on budget this year, why not run some events to raise the money? From fun charity auctions, to sporting events, to bake sales, there’s always ways to raise money for a great cause!
Want to learn more about our Pride Allyship training packages, or find out how the Diversio platform is supporting organizations to become more inclusive? Get in touch!
Diversio is the people intelligence platform that measures, tracks, and improves Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
By connecting artificial intelligence (AI) technology, sophisticated data analytics, and knowledgeable subject matter experts, Diversio is able to accurately diagnose your pain points, benchmark you against peers, and create a robust action plan that will meet your DEI goals. Through the unique combination of technology and human expertise, Diversio is driving meaningful impact for hundreds of organizations across over 35 countries globally.
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For more information on Diversio, or how we can help you start your DEI program contact us at info@diversio.com
