Don’t forget your LGBTQ employees after Pride

INCLUSION: With Pride Month winding down, workplaces should begin considering how to help their LGBTQ employees feel recognized beyond June. As anti-LGBTQ legislation continues to pass on state and national levels, Pride celebrations aren't enough to establish true workplace equity and inclusion .?

"We want to make Pride and DEI something that we talk about year-round," says Sarah Reynolds , CMO of analytics platform HiBob . "As a company that caters to the HR community, we host year-round events that focus on how to build a culture of inclusivity. How do you think about inclusivity as a journey and not a destination?"

Read: Going beyond Pride Month: Ongoing strategies for LGBTQ inclusivity

CAREGIVING: So far in 2023, over 520 bills limiting the rights of LGBTQ people have been introduced, including over 220 specifically targeting transgender and non-binary people. Seventy anti-LGBTQ laws have been enacted, including Florida's so-called "don't say gay" laws prohibiting the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identities in public schools, and Iowa's restrictions on gender affirming care. For caregivers and family members, the stress of navigating this rhetoric is mounting.?

"We underestimate the mental stress that this can cause to families," says Emily Pesce , CEO of teletherapy company Joon . She challenges employers to be extra mindful about how they show support to the queer families within their organization. "How are you telling your employees that you understand it's a difficult time for families? You don't have to say you can fix it all, [but you can say] that somebody here cares about you and cares about you more than your work output. It's really as simple as that."

Read: How anti-LGBTQ legislation is impacting employees and their families

MENTAL HEALTH: The National Institutes of Health estimate that 60% of rural Americans live in a mental health provider shortage area, meaning there are 30,000 citizens to one mental health care professional. Finding a therapist who is in-network, has experience helping the LGBTQ community and has availability will not be easy, says Nicholette Leanza, M.Ed, LPCC-S , a therapist with in-person and virtual mental health care provider LifeStance Health . Once race is added to the framework, the number of affordable and informed therapists shrinks again.?

"An individual who is Black and identifies under the LGBTQ umbrella needs a therapist who will not judge them for identifying as LGBTQ, and is at least culturally competent enough to understand the nuances of being Black in America," says Leanza. "Anytime you're adding different ethnicities and racial backgrounds, it's just harder.”

Read: What the LGBTQ community needs from their mental health care