A manager gets on a call with their team.
According to Gallup, 7.2% of Americans identify as LGBTQIA+. With Pride Month approaching it’s important to make LGBTQIA+ people feel seen, heard, and represented every day, not just during June.
As a queer person, I notice when a company invests in performative diversity efforts. You may work somewhere where you are asked to talk about queerness only during June. The company where you work might not even recognize Pride Month at all.
You may feel erased or ignored. Maybe you want to quit. Do not let fear or misunderstanding of queer identity stop you from maintaining a great position. You may find your colleagues and manager are more open to the LGBTQIA+ community than you think. It is better to speak up in a respectful way than to suffer in silence.
Here are three ways to make your workplace more accepting of LGBTQIA+ people.
Produce Queer Content Outside of June
Your team is probably having conversations about Pride Month this week. Some of your colleagues may want to be inclusive, but don’t acknowledge queer identity outside of June. You will likely see companies make t-shirts, water bottles, and advertisements with rainbows and catchy taglines. But queer people need so much more to feel seen.
If you’re looking to make your workplace more inclusive, start with including queer voices year round. Introduce ideas that could benefit your workplace by expanding your audience.
During a meeting with your manager, mention areas where your workplace could be more queer-friendly. You can tell them how being more open to LGBTQIA+ content will attract more Gen Z people. 20% of people born from 1997-2003 identify as LGBTQIA+. It is hard to reach young people without being queer-friendly.
LGBTQIA+ people want to feel safe at work, but when our voices are only acknowledged during special months it doesn’t feel like employers are practicing genuine allyship.
Put Your Pronouns on Zoom
Normalize queerness in your workplace by using your pronouns on Zoom, Slack, and in your email signature. As a female/non-binary person, I make sure to have my pronouns next to my name in work meetings.
‘‘Including pronouns in email signatures and platforms like Slack and Zoom creates visibility and promotes inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ folks,’’says Liz Cruz, a queer leadership coach and consultant.
‘‘When employees share their pronouns, it helps create a culture where gender diversity is recognized and respected, and where transgender and non-binary employees can feel safe and affirmed in their identities.’’
People may ask questions or make comments when you include your pronouns in work spaces. If someone makes an inappropriate remark about you being non-binary or queer in general, report it to human resources. It’s time that microaggressions against queer people stop going unnoticed.
Form Partnerships with Queer-led Companies
This is one of the best ways you can contribute to a more welcoming environment at your job. If your employer partners with other brands or companies, gently encourage them to work with LGBTQIA+ owned brands throughout the year.
Do a little digging on what your employer is looking for in partners and employees. Find queer-led companies that are a good fit to collaborate with the company where you work.
You can also recommend queer people for open positions. That way your team will slowly diversify over time. If you meet complete resistance to all things queer, it may be time to look for a new job.
For professionals working with companies that only acknowledge queerness during Pride Month, push for queer inclusion all year. Do not let your identity be erased by people who misunderstand what it means to be queer. Queerness comes in all colors, shapes, sizes, and creeds. Queer people are everywhere— and we are here to stay.
