“Sorry, I don’t know if this would be a good fit.”

The words sunk in my stomach while my face kept smiling, my head kept nodding. It was the final interview for a Catholic school– for a community and social skills teaching position, no less– and I had asked the question I typically saved for last.

“I am an openly LGBTQ+ candidate. How does your institution provide a safe and equitable experience for queer employees?”

Despite some of the language in the job description about the institution’s “Christian values,” I thought I could make up for the culture difference with my skills and experience. 

I was wrong. 

As a queer, non-binary employee, there are many ways in which the working world seems to lag behind the rest of the world. For one, 15% of nonbinary adults are unemployed, which is over three times the national average. 25% of LGBTQ+ employees claimed that they were harassed because of their orientation or identity in the past year, and that it negatively affected their job performance. 27% of transgender workers claimed that they were fired, not hired, or not promoted in 2016-2017. It’s no wonder why many LGBTQ+ job searchers obscure details about their identity or personal lives in interviews, or feel like they have to “play down” their identity in the workplace. 

For employees at the intersections of LGBTQ+ identity and race, disability, ethnicity, religion, disease status, class, etcetera, the working world can be infinitely more harrowing. LGBTQ+ employees of color are among the most disadvantaged in the U.S. workforce. 

It’s easy to see why LGBTQ+ communities feel frustrated by rainbow capitalism, or companies using Pride Month as an opportunity to make a profit or get clout without changing any policies. With such structural inequity, companies need to move beyond rainbows and flags. It’s time to take action to protect and support the growing workforce of LGBTQ+ employees.

Pride Month is more than a celebration 

Pride began after the Stonewall riots in 1969, at the end of a decade full of protests and a hard push for civil rights. The first Pride parade had a goal: to commemorate the Stonewall riots, and to further push for LGBTQ+ liberation. This meant that the first Pride was actually a riot– a way to fight through celebration, visibility, and a demand for equity.

Decades later, President Obama expanded the “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month” celebration to include the entire LGBTQ+ community, finally adding language to include transgender individuals, who were long excluded.

Now that Pride is over 50 years old, many who celebrate (including myself) must educate ourselves on the history of the celebration. While Pride is a joyful time, it is also a time of mourning and remembrance– of LGBTQ+ individuals who were killed, of AIDS victims, of current anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, of our LGBTQ+ elders’ long and continued fight for equity. 

It is so important to celebrate, but companies and allies must recognize that Pride is first and foremost a push for equal rights. 

With this history in mind, here are 5 ways to show your support beyond a rainbow logo:

1. Want an inclusive brand? Recruit LGBTQ+ and underprivileged employees.

Before your marketing team starts slapping the rainbow logo on every platform, take a moment and reflect. How diverse is your team? Are there any LGBTQ+ decision makers? Is your team reflecting the inclusivity you are hoping to project? If the answer is no, it’s time to overhaul your recruitment process. Look for a culture ADD, not a culture FIT– this is how your brand will evolve and innovate. Be extremely clear in your job description and interview process how your company supports LGBTQ+ employees. And make sure when you do hire a culture add, not to isolate them for being different.

2. Protect and support gender identity and gender expression. 

Dress codes are a part of life. However, companies must ensure that their dress codes do not perpetuate gender stereotypes and prohibit individuals from presenting as their gender. Make sure your protections for gender non-conforming employees are well-documented and visible. Additionally, make sure you provide appropriate bathrooms, locker rooms, and safe facilities for your LGBTQ+ employees. And while you may think putting your pronouns in your Zoom name or in your email signature is a formality, it is actually a really important way to normalize preferred pronoun use in the workplace. When we all begin to use more inclusive language (like “parental leave” instead of “maternity leave”), it makes the workplace a much better place for LGBTQ+ employees.

3. Fight for inclusive healthcare.

More inclusive healthcare is helpful for everyone. Make sure your healthcare policies, time off, bereavement, emergency, and parental leave policies allow same-sex partners to partake. Also ensure your healthcare plans include coverage for transition-related treatment, including mental health treatment and time-off for transition-related care. Providing access to inclusive mental health care from diverse providers is another way to ensure the wellbeing of your LGBTQ+ employees. Especially in states where transgender healthcare is being actively limited, do your due diligence and advocate for inclusive health care policies. 

4. Educate yourself and your teams. 

For any holiday or historical event, it is important to take a moment to remember why we are celebrating. Have a company-wide Pride education program, bring in an LGBTQ+ speaker, or support a company book club to teach team members about LGBTQ+ history. These are all simple and affordable ways to support your LGBTQ+ employees. Education should also be intersectional and broad. Every letter in the LGBTQ+ acronym represents an infinite spectrum of identities and experiences. One non-binary, gay, lesbian, or trans employee will be completely different from another. Learn from a variety of resources, and talk to a variety of LGBTQ+ communities. You will be all the richer for doing so!

5. Encourage charitable giving and partnering with LGBTQ+ organizations.

LGBTQ+ communities in many states are currently under attack. Companies and teams can show their support by raising money and visibility for LGBTQ+ organizations. Charity events are great for team bonding and increasing employee engagement, and they also help move the needle for LGBTQ+ rights! Consider supporting LGBTQ+ groups that fight for voting equity, inclusive healthcare, equal employment, and LGBTQ+ people at the intersections of identity. Stop by a drag bingo or have a team lunch at a local LGBTQ+ owned business. It’s easy to show your support, and it’s fun for everyone!

These are just a few ways you can show up for your current, and future, LGBTQ+ employees this Pride month. I hope you consider celebrating with informed action!

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