9 ways to celebrate Pride Month at work

You may have noticed an abundance of parades, rainbow flags, and business initiatives marking Pride Month in June, and you may be wondering why the occasion is significant. During Pride Month, we honor and support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community.

Learning about the history of Pride Month, the significance of commemorating Pride Month in the workplace, and nine ways to celebrate Pride Month is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate your LGBTQ+ colleagues while fostering diversity and inclusion.

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month commemorates the LGBTQ+ community's years of struggle and triumph for civil rights and equality. This month-long series of events emerged from the inaugural pride march, which was organized in New York City in 1970 as a memorial to those who participated in the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, is considered the starting point of the fight for gay liberation. The US government formally acknowledged the month in 1999 when President Bill Clinton named June "Gay and Lesbian Pride Month."

Pride Month now serves as a time for reflection as well as a time for members of the community and their allies to celebrate achievements in LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

"In addition to promoting an inclusive, safe, and supportive workplace, celebrating Pride Month recognizes your LGBTQ+ colleagues."

The importance of celebrating Pride Month at work

The LGBTQ+ community has faced and continues to face prejudice, discrimination, exclusion, and violence in and out of the workplace. According to McKinsey & Company, many members of the LGBTQ+ community report feeling vulnerable, underrepresented, and unable to bring their authentic selves to work. Another recent study on LGBT+ Inclusion at Work by Deloitte found that 42% of the surveyed LGBTQ+ employees reported they experienced non-inclusive behaviors at work.

The workplace is progressing with more employers implementing LGBTQ+-inclusive policies, activities, and initiatives encouraging engagement, such as employee resource groups and Pride Month celebrations. The Deloitte research also found that LGBTQ+ employees felt more included and had a sense of belonging when they had allies or colleagues who openly and sincerely supported them as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to promoting an inclusive, safe, and supportive workplace, celebrating Pride Month recognizes your LGBTQ+ colleagues. Observing Pride Month at work also has the following advantages:

Improved sense of belonging among all employees
Reduce prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community.
Improved connections and engagement among employees facilitate communication, which enhances mutual understanding throughout the organization.
Talented LGBTQ+ employees are retained.

Celebrating Pride Month in the workplace is an opportunity to advance equality and awareness within the company and raise awareness of the issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community. While it is always appreciated when people publicly support the LGBTQ+ community, it can be obvious when this support is not sincere. Just celebrating your LGBTQ+ colleagues in June can come across as patronizing. Solidarity and recognition shouldn't simply happen just once a year; instead, express your support all year.

9 ways to make this June a happy Pride Month

Whether you're an employer or a colleague, working on-site or remotely, there are several ways to celebrate Pride Month and promote work equity, inclusion, and diversity in the organization. Use this month to educate, learn about, and celebrate your diverse teams. These ideas and activities help promote a healthy and welcoming workspace all year round.

Donate to or fundraise for an LGBTQ+ charity

Donating to or organizing a fundraiser for an LGBTQ+ charity that supports and serves the community is a meaningful way to commemorate Pride Month. While you can donate with your own money, working with your colleagues has a more significant impact and encourages involvement from everyone in the workplace. From bake sales and coupon books to corporate funds matching, many ways exist to raise money at work. Five LGBTQ+ organizations that could use your help are:

Out & Equal is a nonprofit dedicated to creating a culture of belonging in all workplaces across all industries so employees feel secure, valued, and able to portray their authentic selves while at work.
The Center for Black Equity seeks to create a global network of LGBTQ+ people, allies, and community-based organizations committed to attaining social justice and equality for Black LGBTQ+ communities through economic, health, and social equity.
The Trevor Project provides crisis services, peer support for LGBTQ+ youth, and educational programming and advocacy to create a world where all LGBTQ+ young people see a bright future for themselves.
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is one of the only organizations dedicated to improving the lives of elderly LGBTQ+ people and their caregivers through advocacy and supportive services.
OutRight Action International works globally to increase the capacity of the LGBTIQ human rights movement, highlight and document LGBTIQ human rights violations, and promote inclusion and equality.

Decorate the office with Pride-themed items

A simple way to involve everyone in celebrating Pride month and your LGBTQ+ coworkers is to decorate the office. Consider changing your video background to a rainbow flag or pride-related image for those working remotely.

Volunteer at an LGBTQ+ nonprofit

While donating funds is always welcomed, many LGBTQ+ organizations require more than just funding and could use extra hands or resources. Organizing a group of colleagues and allies to volunteer with a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit is a fantastic way to team build while contributing your time and talents to a worthwhile cause.

Support LGBTQ+-owned businesses

Another way to honor Pride Month is to patronize LGBTQ+-owned businesses, which helps raise awareness, improve economic opportunities, and foster community involvement. You can order meals, drinks, or desserts from LGBTQ+ restaurants, distribute coupons redeemable at LGBTQ+ businesses, or invite an LGBTQ+ artist to perform at a lunch event.

Participate in your local pride parade or march

Pride marches and parades are open to everyone who supports LGBTQ+ rights and equality, whether or not they identify as LGBTQ+. If there is a Pride parade in your city, you can attend alone or organize a group outing with your colleagues. Some parade organizers even allow businesses to sponsor and march in the parade.

Share your pronouns

Sharing pronouns demonstrates respect for how people present themselves. It can also prevent misunderstandings for people with gender-ambiguous names, which helps teams communicate more effectively. You can update your email and messaging application signature with your pronouns and inform your coworkers of your preferred pronouns while requesting theirs.

Be an ally and challenge exclusionary behavior

Speak up when your colleagues aren't using appropriate language when interacting with members of the LGBTQ+ community. It's important we show solidarity and try to embed positive change, even if we're not the ones impacted. There are many ways to address undesirable behavior at work, including correcting your colleagues when they use a derogatory term and making an effort to include your LGBTQ+ colleagues.

Showcase the achievements of LGBTQ+ employees

By highlighting the achievements of your colleagues who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, you can express support and celebrate Pride in the workplace. Whether they have closed on a large deal or exceeded their sales quota, it is essential to recognize their accomplishments. You can send out a formal email blast, make an announcement on social media, or do it informally by commending your colleague directly.

Host an inclusion workshop

Your non-LGBTQ+ coworkers can be educated without being taught by your LGBTQ+ coworkers by hosting an inclusiveness workshop or a lunch and learn. These training programs inform your workers on the proper usage of pronouns, how discrimination and unconscious bias harm the workplace, and how employees can help create a more welcoming workplace environment.

These are just a few ways that you can celebrate Pride Month at work. Looking for a more inclusive company to work for? Make sure to create a profile so employers can find you, and check out our other articles about LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the workplace.