As a Queer Business Owner, I Hope More Businesses Will Support LGBTQ+ Employees Year-Round

Beware of companies that rainbow-wash once a year while staying silent on issues of racial equity and anti-trans legislation

As a member of the queer community, I know what it’s like to feel tokenized and not fully seen in the workplace. It wasn’t until I started my own business that I felt I could fully express who I am while also implementing policies that support LGBTQ equality in the workplace.

Pride Month draws more attention to the LGBTQ community, but also features a whole lot of “rainbow washing.” Just scroll your LinkedIn feed for all the rainbow-colored logos and often poorly-designed rainbow merchandise. We change our logo to a rainbow too, but it’s far from the only thing we do at my business. Rainbows may help make straight, cis people aware of something they have the privilege not to think about every day, too often Pride Month efforts are half-hearted and don’t translate to actually supporting LGBTQ+ employees year-round.

Research, including Carol Cone’s new On Purpose report, demonstrates that consumers overwhelmingly care about supporting companies that align with their values. They are especially turned off by companies that say they care about an issue but do nothing about it (like CVS Health showboating the Pride flag in their social media avatars, despite having donated thousands of dollars to politicians that support anti-trans laws).?

Corporations also have a special power that many individuals lack: a platform that allows them to be seen and heard by a large audience. Corporations have the power to lead by example and help start conversations that influence policy, such as boycotting states that pass anti-trans laws.

Employers, particularly in red states like Idaho, where I live, need to be aware of the lack of LGBTQ+ inclusive non-discrimination policies. While some cities in Idaho have these, there are no state-wide civil rights protections for queer people. The Movement Advancement Project has a wealth of resources to help you understand whether LGBTQ+ people have basic civil rights in your city or state.?

As of June 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a landmark civil rights decision that protects LGBTQ workers under Title VII of the Civil Right Act, meaning we can no longer be fired based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Because of differing state laws, many LGBTQ people in Idaho don’t know that they cannot be fired from their job or be denied access to their employer-based health care, because of who they are.?

The federal law also doesn’t address public accommodations, which is a huge challenge for trans* people who may be kicked out of movie theaters, gyms, restaurants, or anywhere else open to the public because of gender identity or expression. Add the Words in Idaho continues to advocate for comprehensive statewide protections. Unfortunately, in Idaho, even when major companies like Chobani, Micron, and Clif Bar came out against anti-trans legislation in 2020, it has not stopped our Republican governor or legislators from continuing to pursue policies that are harmful to trans people (especially youth), their parents, and physicians who provide gender-affirming care.?

The moral of this story is, if your state or city does not provide basic civil rights for LGBTQ+ people, take the initiative to include them in company-specific policies. This includes inclusive hiring and promotion practices and paying BIPOC people to lead DEI training for your team (we love our DEI coach, Diya Khana and highly recommend her). It’s important to post open positions in places that specifically appeal to job seekers who are BIPOC and LGBTQ+ and include a DEI statement on your website. Here’s ours as an example.

Employee handbooks set the atmosphere for inclusivity. For example, is your parental leave policy gender-neutral and inclusive of same-sex couples, single parents, and situations where a child comes into a family through adoption or foster care? Do you offer paid leave for caregivers and new parents? Does your health insurance provider cover transgender healthcare and reproductive assistance for same-sex couples or single parents? Make sure your handbook protects LGBTQ+ employees with equitable access and important resources so they feel welcome.

While it can be tempting (particularly if you are white) to feel like the LGBTQ+ movement won with marriage equality, there is still a lot of heavy lifting to do. Luckily, there are many ways to support LGBTQ+ employees year-round. I hope that my queerness makes me more sensitive to the needs of employees and the clients we work with. Instead of pretending we don’t see differences, we should lean into learning about one another and creating workplaces where everyone feels seen and valued.