Celebrating Pride Month at a Workplace
Employees are the building blocks of an organization. It is they who work in close collaboration with the management to achieve the objectives and goals achieved by the companies. Over time, organizations have started giving importance to inclusivity and build teams based only on merit and skills. To take this spirit forward, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate occasions such as Pride Month.
June is celebrated as Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising in June of 1969, when a group of LGBTQ protesters faced police brutality. Since then, Pride Month has been about accepting different sexual preferences without judging people, supporting LGBTQ+ causes, and celebrating the “pride” of being different from the rest.
The workplace is a place where people grow. An important element of development is to embrace the spirit of inclusion and see the world from a better perspective. This is Pride Month. There is a common misconception about limiting this opportunity to people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Certainly not so. Even if your organization doesn’t have a single employee belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, you can still celebrate Pride Month with full gusto and enthusiasm.
Here are some of the most essential ways in which Pride Month can be celebrated at workplace:
imparting education
The simplest yet most important aspect of celebrating Pride Month at work is to be educated about it. People often confuse being gay with being trans and being bisexual with being gay. It may not be considered a big deal by one, but it is an integral part of people’s identity. “It is important to have sessions (virtual or on-premises) that educate the workforce about the history of the LGBTQ+ struggle, achievements of the community, the gender pronouns used, and more. A lot of prejudice and the age-old “us vs them” mentality can only be tackled by educating our workforce about the cause.” says Achintya Karmakar, head of human resources at Flipspaces.
having LGBTQ+ speakers on board
No one can explain the causes of LGBTQ+ better than someone belonging to the community. In India, a large section of society still suffers from traditional and problematic stereotypes about people belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. To bust it, invite LGBTQ+ speakers to address your workforce and share valuable information about their journey as a community. Ask them to interact with your team members and answer their questions in an open, fluid and stimulating conversation. It will change the mindset of a handful of people on your team who are still battling with the stereotypes that have been prevalent for decades.
Donating to LGBTQ+ Charity
An important way to celebrate Pride Month can be by donating something to an LGBTQ+ charity. India is still in the early stages of accepting the community across the board. This has inspired many activists and LGBTQ+ supporters to start institutions and charities to support the cause. Donating to these charities helps you to make a positive difference and contribute towards this cause.
Embracing the colors of the rainbow!
The colors of the rainbow are of utmost importance to the LGBTQ+ community and are referred to as the colors of the Pride flag. These colors represent a broad spectrum of gender and sexual preferences between being a straight male and a straight female.
Throw on rainbow colors as you celebrate Pride Month at your workplace. Just like you decorate the office during Christmas or Diwali, put up posters, flags, stickers and balloons that represent the spirit of Pride Month and whatever that means. Take to social media and let the world know that you embraced the colors of the rainbow in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Adopting a Strong Discrimination and Diversity Policy
Even if no one in your organization is prejudiced against the LGBTQ+ community or denies stereotypes, having a strong discrimination and diversity policy is definitely a positive step towards change. During Pride Month, make sure you draft a gender neutral policy if it doesn’t exist or revise an existing one to highlight the importance of inclusivity in the workplace.
Kunal Sharma, Founder and CEO, Flipspace, says, “Understand the importance of prioritizing everyone within your organization with skills, competencies and competencies over everything else. From recruiters to employees working across departments, fostering inclusivity Giving will have a positive impact on the overall work ethic and culture of the organization.
Supporting LGBTQ+ businesses
Far from raising funds through charity, many members of the LGBTQ+ community and its supporters run businesses with the intention of becoming self-sufficient. Profits earned by these businesses often go to charity and are used to uplift the status of the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
As you celebrate Pride Month, make sure you identify these businesses, buy their products, and take advantage of their services. Use your marketing expertise to actively promote these ventures and make more people aware of it. For the month of June, consider these businesses your valued customers and give them the traction they deserve!
participating in dedicated community events
Throughout Pride Month, almost every major city in the country hosts community events that celebrate who you are. Recognize these incidents and take your team members with you. Simply by participating in these events, you will become a valuable instrument of change for the community that has always struggled to raise its voice. Take pride flags and wave them, well, proud to show your support for the cause!
This Pride Month, do your best to create a sense of inclusivity and fraternity within your workplace by supporting the LGBTQ+ cause and raising your voice with the community. Make sure you contribute to building a workplace and work culture where boundaries are blurred and everyone accepts everyone else for who they are!