How to celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month at work
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June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month! Learn about the history of the month, how to be an ally, our resources and events, and more. With LGBTQIA+ Pride Month coming up, we want to share some information to help you celebrate with the rest of the organization in a thoughtful, inclusive way.
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The history behind LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
The origin of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month is one that’s rooted in prejudice. On June 28, 1969, police raided a gay bar in New York called Stonewall Inn to harass patrons. This led to multi-day riots to protest the mistreatment of the gay community by law enforcement.
This uprising was pivotal for the gay rights movement and opened the door to more alliances, protests, and political conversations. One year after the Stonewall riots, the nation’s first Gay Pride march was organized by an activist named Brenda Howard.
Since then, Pride Month has spread globally and grown to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, the purpose of the month is to celebrate progress to date, commemorate those who have lost their lives to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS, and recognize the community members who have positively impacted the movement.
Being an ally
One of the best ways to support the LGBTQIA+ is to practice allyship—especially as a straight individual. This means demonstrating your support for the community through your words, intentions, and actions.
As a starting point, we encourage you to check out A Guide To Being A Straight Ally or other similar resources. Here are a few additional tips to help you be a better ally:
- Use inclusive language, and be respectful of everyone’s gender pronouns.
- Make an effort to educate yourself and understand how you can best support your LGBTQIA+ coworkers.
- Uncover your own biases so that you’re not inadvertently contributing to the problem.
- Speak up when you witness microaggressions or discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.
Taking care of your mental health
We understand that LGBTQIA+ Pride Month means different things to different people. For some, it’s a celebration of the community. For others, it’s a painful time that reminds them of loved ones they’ve lost.
Throughout the month, we want our employees to prioritize their mental health first. So if you feel overwhelmed, remember that the following resources are available to you:
- [insert company resource]
- [insert company resource]
- [insert company resource]
We also encourage you to talk to your manager, if you feel comfortable doing so, or ask for a mental health day to give yourself the time to process your emotions. If there’s anything else you need that we’re not providing, just ask!
Starting conversations
Open dialogue is key to progress. Use Pride Month as an opportunity to learn from members of the LGBTQIA+ community. To do this, you have to utilize your active listening skills, step outside of your comfort zone, and ask thoughtful questions when you don’t understand something.
If you identify as LGBTQIA+ and want to share your experiences with the rest of the organization, raise your hand and let us know how we can best amplify your voice.
Also, don’t forget that we have an LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) that everyone is welcome to join. Here’s more information about the group:
- [Brief description of ERG]
Continuing your education
We strive to be a safe workplace for our employees. An essential part of cultivating this type of culture is to have everyone continuously expand their knowledge when it comes to the subject of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
For those who are interested in furthering their education about the LGBTQIA+ community, even beyond Pride Month, here are some resources to look into:
