As an LGBTQ+ PR Agency, we are always looking for ways to become better allies to our LGBTQ+ friends, family, and colleagues. What will best show our support, how can we increase acceptance and empowerment throughout the year, not just in the month of June; which is Pride Month? We’ve put together a guide to celebrating pride as a workplace.
It is important to celebrate pride in the workplace. Why? To ensure we’re giving the best possible appreciation and acknowledgment to the pioneers of equality that allies and advocates around the world fight to keep. Not only that, being open and more importantly, expressive about your support for the LGBTQ+ community is only going to be a good thing to support those in your workplace; whether they be out and proud or not.
Align your brand with that of the Pride Movement
It is something that has garnered at least some level of controversy over the past few years, but at our LGBTQ+ PR Agency, we feel it’s best to ensure we are visibly aligned with causes we believe in. Yes, it’s true that some companies have received criticism for changing their logos during pride month to include the pride flag; but, if we’re honest, 99% of the time we can’t see much of a problem with it.
If you’re sure about your use of it and can justify why you have chosen to change your logo, then for us, it is a win in our book. Changing your logo on social media during the month of June can be a great way to increase visibility and quickly show support for the LGBTQ+ community, but it can’t be used in isolation. Other methods must be used alongside it to ensure your actions are not seen as performative.
One thing that can be used all year round to show your brand aligns with that of the LGBTQ+ community is by supplying some kind of pride merchandise for your employees. This is something that has been implemented successfully in many organisations. Using your pride logo to add to things such as office supplies, stationery, or even business cards, provides a year-round sense of allyship and visibility.
Show your Allyship in Person
With the opening up of society looking more and more promising sat there on the horizon, we can look to the future with Pride Festivities being tentatively written in ink in our office calendars. Although it may seem pre-emptive to start planning for festivals and marches, it’s never too early to start planning. Pride events such as Birmingham and Manchester have announced they’re going to be running this year, and some are in talks of ticketing events in an attempt to make them as safe as possible, it’s a great opportunity to show your support by signing up to walk. It’s easy to get in touch with festival organisers to get involved, and more often than not it’s not for a fee. Seeing an LGBTQ+ PR Agency, at a pride parade, for example, can influence the outlook of potential clients and increase the desirability of your workplace to future hires. Walking a Pride March with your colleagues, dressed in flags, donning whoops, and cheers of support is also a great way to bring your team together.
Educate your Workforce
It may seem as though you can never learn enough when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues, but it is always good to ensure that employees new and long-serving have to opportunity to learn more about the history. Positioned as a refresher course for some and an information session for others, this is one of the best ways to level the playing field amongst your employees. Some firms run regular lunchtime sessions on a range of topics, and it wouldn’t hurt to run one on the history of LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Make it accessible to your employees by expressing that it is a casual, drop-in talk to learn more about the topic, rather than a compulsory training session, from the perspective of an LGBTQ+ PR Agency, you’re likely to have more people come along if you do so! Another thing you can do to be a good ally is to reach out to your workforce to see if anyone would feel comfortable running the session either alone or with the support of others, it would be good to give LGBTQ+ members of staff the opportunity to share their experiences in a safe environment.
Collect Donations for a Charity
One simple way you can show your allyship both to your workforce and to those around you is to collect donations for a chosen charity. Perhaps this can be chosen by your employees by a vote, but be sure to advertise it well to everyone. Most charitable organisations have donation boxes that can be sent to your place of work at no cost; it can be an easy way to show your support throughout the year.
From bigger charities such as Mermaids to smaller local ones, such as Outhouse East, there will always be something that aligns best with your company and your employee’s social responsibility priorities. So it should be an easy thing to set up and continue into the future to set a precedent for giving back to and supporting marginalised communities.
It should be a continuous process that we work to support and empower the LGBTQ+ community in your workplace and foster a space within your work environment for them to feel safe, secure, and supported. An LGBTQ+ PR Agency is one that strives to empower those who have traditionally been marginalised, and we can do that in a multitude of ways aside from our day-to-day activities as an LGBTQ+ PR Agency. Work like this takes time, however, many hands make light work, and many allied hands make lighter work.
Contact Us
If you’re interested in making your workplace more inclusive and want to find out more about our LGBTQ+ PR Agency, then don’t hesitate to call us on 01376 386850 or send us an email at [email protected]; you can also click here to fill out our contact form.