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To support our customers as they prepare for annual Pride celebrations, we spoke with Kevin McCracken, Co-Founder and COO of Social Imprints to share some of the lessons that we have learned over the years while collaborating with organizations recognizing Pride Month.
How can companies make their efforts meaningful and authentic?
Corporate celebrations of Pride have faced pushback in recent years, being critiqued as performative rather than substantive. Pride recognition matters more when it goes beyond attending parties and parades. Meaningful change comes from a deliberate investment in people with time and resources. Consider hosting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) panel discussions or workshops for your team to learn new ways to promote equity in the office and beyond. Take time as a group to acknowledge the history of Pride, its activists, and also the unsung heroes who collectively worked to enact change.
Why does LGBTQIA+ representation matter in the workplace?
Historically, the LGBTQIA+ community has not had the privilege of bringing their full selves to work each day. Due to stigmas and discrimination, people did not have the same freedoms to put a picture of their spouses and families on their desk, to share weekend plans, or just be themselves in the office. Company celebrations of Pride, including corporate gifts and events, have helped to create safe spaces and start conversations that have snowballed into cultural shifts. In short, representation, both on our teams and in our office spaces, creates more equitable workplaces for all.
How can co-workers, teams, and companies align themselves as allies beyond June?
Listen to hear, not just to respond. As allies, we need to make a conscious effort to listen to people’s stories, feelings, and struggles. Practice pausing, not only to internalize what has been said, but also so that others may speak. Giving people the space to speak allows them to share a wealth of experience from outside the office that can enrich your community. Listening with the intent of learning offers allies the opportunity to demonstrate support daily, and it amplifies voices that historically have not been heard.
Don’t just save your Pride gear for June – use your rainbow mug for morning coffee and wear your Pride shirt to the office on casual days. True community is built when every member is engaged, valued, and has the freedom to share their identity not just during Pride month, but every day of the year.