How can you be authentic during Pride Month?
It's pride month. All sorts of businesses and nonprofits are waving the rainbow flag. They have changed their social media to have rainbow imagery for the month. They may even create a social media post that acknowledges the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. If you’ve done that, thank you.
These gestures are not insignificant. We have come a long way just to have organizations acknowledge that the LGBTQ+ communty exists and that we deserve the same treatment as anybody else.
But it has become rote, if not insincere and transactional, to be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. I am not an expert on LGBT issues, but I have seen enough good visibility and insincere visibility to have some perspective.
Beyond the requisite social media post, here are my top five suggestions to sincerely engage the LGBTQ+ community this year and beyond.
Listen and Amplify Voices: Center the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations. Invite members of the community to share their stories, concerns, and needs, and amplify their voices through your platforms.
Meaningful Partnerships: Collaborate with LGBTQ+ organizations and activists who have been doing the work in the community. Build genuine partnerships that extend beyond Pride Month to provide ongoing support.
Inclusive Policies and Practices: Ensure your organization's policies and practices are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals. This includes non-discrimination policies, inclusive language, and gender-neutral facilities.
Employee Support: Provide a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ employees. Offer training on diversity and inclusion, create employee resource groups, and ensure equal opportunities for advancement regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Authentic Representation: Represent LGBTQ+ individuals in your marketing materials, events, and outreach efforts respectfully and authentically. Avoid tokenism and ensure representation reflects the diversity of the community.
While Pride Month is celebrated every June, LGBTQ+ individuals exist every day as your friends, neighbors, employees and stakeholders. Continuously engage this community and commit to ongoing visibility throughout the year. Hollow gestures are obvious. Sincerity and authenticity will drive your mission forward.