This story is part of the Portland Business Journal's Pride 2022 coverage. Click here to read more.
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 over 30 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 health care 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.
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.
If you’re ready to imagine a world where more of us can fully feel seen, connected and supported then consider taking one, some, or all of these, 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. 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 No. 2.
- 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.
Celebrating Pride is one of the best ways for you to signal acts of allyship. 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 consider taking this LinkedIn Learning Course, or my 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!
Rhodes Perry (he/him) is founder and CEO of Rhodes Perry Consulting, Building Belonging at Work.
