Pride Month is a hugely important time of the year, and across the world, individuals, cities and businesses are finding ways to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and raise awareness of its rights and challenges.
Businesses, in particular, are in a position to play a very important role. As they often hold high standing in their communities, and tend to have some form of online presence, their actions are seen by many. So, when it comes to Pride events and internal initiatives, what they do matters. A lot.
With that in mind, we look at five online initiatives every business can introduce during Pride Month.
Online Initiatives
We chose online initiatives as the activities are all doable, regardless of the business size. In-person initiatives are also fantastic, such as volunteering or inviting a guest speaker to your workplace. However, the list below will have something for everyone, and each initiative is primed to start right away.
1. Increased Visibility
Internal newsletters are a great way of bringing Pride Month and company-wide initiatives to everyone’s attention. You can spotlight and interview LGBTQ+ employees who are happy to take part, and mention events happening throughout the month that staff members might enjoy.
Social media is a great place to share your thoughts as well as articles and news pieces related to Pride Month. You can show the world how you’ve decorated your office or send out a piece of short form video content where you talk about the importance of the month. The options are endless, just make sure to add a personal touch.
Furthermore, do your company policies reflect and protect the needs of LGBTQ+ staff? If not, anti-discrimination and healthcare benefits are two such policies worth revising.
2. Education
Pride Month is the perfect time to educate staff on issues such as unconscious bias and inclusion. To do this type of educating effectively, you can look at:
· Guidance documentation: Do you have guidance documentation on your intranet that covers LGBTQ+ rights? Maybe you do or maybe it needs a refresh. Review your documentation to ensure every detail, such as the nuances of identity, are explained. Once this documentation is in place, share it with your team.
· Online training: Could your employees be better allies to their LGBTQ+ colleagues? Is there a need to foster better trans inclusivity in your workplace? Does your team need training on identity? Wherever you feel your team needs educating, record training videos that current and future employees can easily access and learn from.
3. Support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Employee Resource Groups are employee-led and built around a shared characteristic, be it gender, ethnicity or lifestyle. They are designed to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
ERGs are generally seen to positively affect:
· Workplace conditions for marginalised employees
· Workplace culture and employee happiness
· Safer workplaces
· The identification of future leaders
· Company-wide goals and challenges
Establishing an ESG, or several, will help your business flourish in many ways. Not only will employees feel more connected to their colleagues, but in doing so these groups will begin to assess challenges differently, to innovate in new ways and ultimately, utilise collaboration to its fullest extent.
4. Quizzes
Useful for a Friday afternoon wind-down, workplace quizzes during Pride Month can take in questions about LGBTQ+ history, books, movies, performing artists, etc. They’re a way to have fun and educate at the same time, and if you have a prize for the winner, people will be all the more likely to partake.
5. Create a Pride Playlist
What better way to begin or end a workweek than by playing some tunes in the office? This Pride Month, consider a Pride orientated playlist. Make it a collaborative effort by getting everyone involved and add songs by LGBTQ+ artists or ones about diversity, self-love and self-acceptance. Soon you will have everyone grooving to the one beat.
Bonus Idea
While these initiatives act as a great way to interact with Pride Month, educate and bring people together, there is another online resource the LGBTQ+ community finds particularly useful: apps.
There are several LGBTQ+ orientated apps available that list everything from LGBTQ+ friendly businesses to safe spaces online. These are great for when members of the LGBTQ+ community need someone to talk to or are visiting a new city and looking for somewhere to relax. For more on these apps, read our article Fostering Friendship: The Apps Proudly Promoting Connection in the LGBTQ+ Community.
Wisetek: Building Sustainable Relationships
At Wisetek, we’re all about building sustainable relationships. We don’t take the easy route, either, as our most sustainable relationship is with the Earth.
For example, all our devices are refurbished to an “as new” standard and meet our 0% landfill policy each and every time. As all the materials we receive are either repaired, refurbished or correctly recycled, we’re reducing our environmental footprint and ensuring that product lifespans are extended, all while providing our customers with excellent products.