Celebrating Pride, Promoting Equality: Pride Month Ideas for Companies

22 of June, 2023

Have you been thinking about how your company can show its support for the LGBTQIA+ community this June? As Pride Month, it’s a perfect time to promote inclusiveness and celebrate diversity in the workplace.

There are so many meaningful ways to get involved, from hosting educational events to creating a safe space for open dialog. That’s when your internal and external communication becomes the most important. You owe it to your employees and customers to take a stand for equality.

This June, make Pride Month count at your company. Start by flying a rainbow flag outside your office or decorating workspaces to show your solidarity. Put together a speaker series on LGBTQIA+ issues or organize a fundraiser for a local advocacy group.

Most importantly, evaluate your policies and workplace culture to make sure they align with the values of acceptance and equal opportunity. Celebrate how far we’ve come as a society and renew your commitment to keep pushing for change.

Fly the Pride Flag

As an HR manager or business owner, showing your support for the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month in June is so important. Flying the Pride flag is a symbolic way to celebrate and promote inclusiveness.

Raising a Pride flag at your office or place of business sends a clear message to employees, customers and the public that you stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. Place the flag in a prominent spot, like near the entrance to your building or on a flagpole. You can also distribute smaller Pride flags for employees to display at their desks or workstations.

You can also use the power of social media to spread your message of support. Share photos of your Pride flag on all your company channels using the hashtag #PrideMonth. Explain why celebrating Pride is important to your business and culture. Tag your post with @mycompany name and location so people in your community can show their support. The more you promote inclusion, the more it becomes the norm.

Pride Month is all about promoting equality and human rights. Take this opportunity to reflect on how you can strengthen diversity and inclusion at your workplace all year round. One simple act like raising a Pride flag can spark positive change.

Educate Your Employees

Educating your employees about Pride Month and LGBTQIA+ topics is key. As an HR manager or business owner, make an effort to promote inclusiveness and address any knowledge gaps.

• Host presentations or workshops discussing LGBTQIA+ identities, experiences and challenges. Bring in guest speakers from local advocacy groups to share their stories. Hearing real experiences is the best way to build understanding.
• Share educational resources like videos, books, podcasts and articles with your team. Some recommendations include:
  • “Queer 101” video series on YouTube. Fun, short explainers on key terms and topics.
  • “What’s Your Pronoun?” A quick guide to sharing and respecting pronouns.
  • “Queer” by Kathy Belge and Marke Bieschke. A comprehensive and inclusive overview of LGBTQIA+ topics.
• Review your policies and procedures to ensure inclusiveness of people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Make any needed changes to language or available benefits and options.
• Promote allyship by encouraging employees to display pride flags, wear pride gear like shirts or pins, and sign ally pledges. Make it clear you support people speaking out against insensitive comments or discrimination.
• Celebrate milestones like anniversaries of civil rights victories. Share details on events like the Stonewall riots or legalization of same-sex marriage. Honor the activists who made progress possible.

By taking the time to educate and make inclusiveness a priority, you’ll build a work environment where people of all identities feel respected. And that benefits both your employees and your company. Every step makes a difference!

Host an Inclusive Pride Month Event

As an organization, hosting an event to celebrate Pride Month is a great way to promote inclusiveness and show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Here are some ideas to make your event a success:

Invite speakers from local LGBTQIA+ organizations to talk about key issues facing the community. This helps educate employees and sparks important conversations. You could also organize a panel discussion with LGBTQIA+ employees at your company to share their experiences.

• Decorate using the rainbow pride flag and other symbols of inclusiveness. Serve rainbow-themed snacks, cocktails, and treats.
• Play music from popular LGBTQIA+ artists. Create a playlist of songs related to pride, equality and inclusiveness.
• Organize inclusive games and activities like rainbow coloring pages, pronoun buttons or badges, and LGBTQIA+ trivia.
• Provide resources on becoming an ally and LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion. Have printouts, flyers, and digital resources available for people to take with them.

Most importantly, promote your event widely and create an inclusive space where people feel comfortable to be themselves. Extend invitations to partners and families. The more the merrier! An event brimming with laughter, joy and connection can be profoundly impactful.

Keep in mind that for some, Pride events may bring up difficult emotions or memories of discrimination. Be sensitive to this and have counselors or HR staff on hand. Make it clear your company is committed to inclusiveness, with zero tolerance for disrespect or intolerance.

Celebrating Pride at work, whether a small gathering or company-wide event, shows you value diversity and support the wellbeing of all employees. It promotes understanding, compassion, and a sense of belonging—things that make for a healthy, high-performing work culture. What better way to honor Pride Month than by spreading more of that in the world?

Provide Inclusive Policies and Benefits

To truly celebrate Pride Month and promote an inclusive company culture, provide benefits and policies that support your LGBTQIA+ employees.

Health Insurance Coverage

Offer health insurance plans that provide coverage for transition-related care like hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries. These medically necessary procedures can be expensive, so inclusive health plans are greatly appreciated.

Bereavement and Family Leave

LGBTQIA+ employees may face difficulties taking time off to care for sick partners or family members not recognized under typical bereavement policies. Offer additional paid leave so people can care for their loved ones, regardless of legal relationship status.

Non-Discrimination Policy

A strong non-discrimination policy that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression is a must. Post the policy on your website, employee handbooks, and job ads to clearly communicate your stance.

Transitioning at Work

For trans and non-binary employees, the ability to openly transition at work without fear of repercussions is invaluable. Have clear policies in place to support employees transitioning, and train managers on how to properly support them.

Diversity and Inclusion Training

Providing regular diversity and inclusion training, especially on LGBTQIA+ topics, promotes understanding and helps address unconscious biases. When employees feel respected and supported, they are happier, healthier, and more productive.

Employee Resources Groups

Encourage and support employee resource groups for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. These groups build community, offer mentorship, raise awareness of important issues, and make companies appealing places for people of all backgrounds.

Creating an equitable, inclusive environment means going above and beyond legal requirements. The time and resources invested in supporting your LGBTQIA+ employees will create a company culture where people feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. What better way to celebrate Pride Month?

Conclusion

So there you have it, some impactful ways to show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community this June. Promoting inclusiveness and equality should be an ongoing effort, not just something you do for one month out of the year.

But Pride Month is a perfect opportunity to reaffirm your company’s commitment to diversity and send a message of allyship. By implementing even a few of these ideas, you’ll be well on your way to fostering an open, welcoming environment where people of all orientations and identities can thrive. And that is something worth celebrating.

We hope that this article has been insightful in promoting and celebrating inclusiveness at your company. To stay up to date with everything related to human resources, keep reading Sesame‘s blog!