What to Know About Pride Month in the Workplace

June is Pride Month in the United States and several other countries around the world. The month is an opportunity to celebrate the progress the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) communities* have made throughout history. Unfortunately, the time also needs to be spent on the systemic challenges and discrimination LGBTQ people continue to face in the U.S. and elsewhere.

For those of you who don't know, I'm gay. I believe that who a person is or whom they love does not exempt them from the same rights or opportunities as anyone else. I kindly ask that you move on from this edition of the newsletter if you disagree with and can't respect that firmly held belief.

Today, I want to shine a light on some of what I've learned over the years as I've navigated my own career and listened to many other LGBTQ professionals. My plan is to break this article into four short parts. The first will speak to people who don't understand why LGBTQ people need Pride or other protections. The second will speak to allies who do not know how to support their LGBTQ coworkers. The third will focus on what LGBTQ people can do for themselves and each other. Lastly, I will embed a recent conversation I had on LinkedIn News Live with Sam Thom, who is the director of operations at the National LGBTQ Task Force , and my LinkedIn News coworker Jessi Hempel , who is working to get LGBTQ representation into free libraries across the country .

Why is Pride necessary?

Some of you may scoff or roll your eyes at the thought of Pride. I've encountered many people throughout my life who don't understand why LGBTQ people have parades and advocate for protection from discrimination.?

The truth is that being a member of an LGBTQ community isn't a choice —?despite what many people believe and teach. Until very recently, it was still allowed for employers to fire a person for being queer. What LGBTQ people and allies advocate for are not special protections but protections to allow them the same security other people have in the workplace.

For example, a woman discussing her plans to go away to the beach for the weekend with her husband and child can't be fired for that discussion. Until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a case in 2020, a woman could be fired in many states for discussing her plans to go away to the beach for the weekend with her wife and child.

While many protections have been achieved over the past decade, there is still a long way to go. More than 520 anti-LGBTQ bills — 220 specifically targeting trans and non-binary people — have been introduced in state legislatures so far this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) . Both are records and 2023 has yet to reach its halfway point. Additionally, HRC reports that 70 anti-LGBTQ laws have been enacted this year.

How can allies support LGBTQ coworkers?

While there are many people who use their time to deprive LGBTQ people of basic protections and opportunities, there are so many that want to support the queer people in their lives. In some cases, they don't know how to put their support into action. Here are some suggestions:

• Educate yourself: There are many great resources on the internet from the Human Rights Campaign, National LGBTQ Task Force, Out & Equal, and more about LGBTQ communities and the obstacles they face.
• Be a workplace advocate: Educate yourself about your employer's protections and offerings for LGBTQ employees. Speak up if you notice gaps in coverage or opportunities for improvement. Use what you've learned to educate others in your organization. Additionally, make sure your company shows its values throughout the community.
• Show compassion: Understand that LGBTQ people can be affected by events, backlash, and public discussions. Make space for them to talk about their concerns, fears, and more. You do not have to provide solutions. Sometimes, offering to listen is enough at the moment.

What can LGBTQ people do for themselves and each other?

The LGBTQ communities know how to stick together. We've been doing it for more than a century. Yet, we sometimes don't know how to take care of ourselves when times turn tough. Based on my own experience and my conversations with successful out professionals, I want to highlight a few steps we can all take to help ourselves and others. Specifically:

• Educate yourself: Being a member of an LGBTQ community doesn't magically equip us with the knowledge needed to effectively advocate on behalf of all communities. We have a responsibility to know the issues and obstacles facing our communities so we can jump into action when needed.?
• Reach out to others: Many companies have LGBTQ employee resource groups that provide support and advocacy. If your company doesn't have such a group, ask HR about forming one. Also, don't forget to look for off-the-books support groups that exist in many workplaces and industries. These may be based on professional organizations, Slack, Teams, Whatsapp groups, etc. Off-the-book groups allow a safe place to discuss concerns and needs.
• Advocate for your LGBTQ colleagues: LGBTQ people exist across age groups, races, ethnicities and more. I love that fact, but it also means that some LGBTQ people have more privilege and social safety than others. For example, I'm a gay, white, cisgender man. I know that I need to help elevate the voices of my LGBTQ colleagues who feel especially marginalized or unsupported.
• Mentor young LGBTQ colleagues: Older LGBTQ professionals have had to navigate a complex and changing world of work. Many young LGBTQ professionals may have not experienced a time of such strong anti-LGBTQ sentiment. Taking younger colleagues under your proverbial wing gives each of you a chance to learn from the other and navigate a shifting landscape together.

Continuing the conversation…

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the National LGBTQ Task Force's Sam Thom and my LinkedIn News colleague Jessi Hempel, who is the author of The Family Outing . We discussed Jessi's initiative to get her memoir into free libraries across the country. Additionally, we discussed what people can do to support each other during Pride Month and all year long. You can watch the discussion below.

* You may have noticed that I often refer to "LGBTQ communities" instead of the "LGBTQ community." The reason I tend to write "communities" is that I spent a large portion of my career covering LGBTQ-related issues — especially in the health and public health spheres. While LGBTQ people work together to achieve incredible progress, each letter within that acronym faces unique challenges and obstacles. Even though I believe LGBTQ people should face challenges together, it's important to recognize that those challenges are sometimes unique to a specific community.?