We have just got out of almost 3 months of full pride. 🏳️🌈⚧🏳️⚧️
We cannot deny that it has been a wonderful time to celebrate. The #pride has been trending topic around the world, and there is no doubt that this season has given us great opportunities to talk about important social and gender issues.
We started the season with Puerto Vallarta, celebrating Pride at the end of May. June found us marching in most Latin American, US and European cities, remembering the Stonewall riots and celebrating all those people who fought and even gave their lives so that our community can conquer more rights every day. July and the beginning of August were not far behind, since several European cities celebrated Pride taking advantage of the summer, such as Madrid, Berlin and Amsterdam.
During these almost 90 days of pride, we were able to see companies and content producers giving visibility to countless professionals from our community to defend and speak about the cause. And that's great!
I was able to witness how companies has gone beyond painting their logo with rainbow colors. This year there was a greater commitment to "coming out" not only by participating in the parades, but also by educating staff on different issues and promoting internal inclusion policies. Little by little, there is less fear (or rather, greater courage) to make LGBTQIA+ staff visible, understanding that diversity is vital to achieving healthier and more productive companies. 💪 However, there is still a trend in the market that limits #LGBTQ+ professionals to talking mainly about social and gender issues. And, wrongly, we are categorized to be the voice of the company in these months of pride, leaving us in the background for the rest of the year.
That is why I am sharing some suggestions below to keep building a more inclusive company beyond Pride Season.
Not everything has to be activism
Bring LGBTQIA+ people into other circles of conversation that aren't just about social or gender issues. In some cases, we tend to forget that there is life beyond activism and that these same people can also be (we are) great references to talk about marketing, sales, business, tourism, management, mental health, and many other topics. Let's highlight queer talent in all areas of the company.🔥
Create and analyze inclusion and diversity quotas in your team and leadership roles
Do you already know how your workforce is made up? This does not mean that we must do a survey asking our talents if they are part of the community or not. Remember that coming out of the closet is a personal decision and should not be forced. In addition, it is difficult for people to disclose their sexuality if they do not feel that the company is really focused on creating inclusive spaces. However, you can build a map of diversity, collecting information on the organization's talents at all levels, including visible and non-visible aspects. It aims to evaluate, through confidential surveys, the composition of the team including generic data, labor data, training data, gender diversity, functional diversity and, finally, the self-perception of people.
Communicate inclusively
First, to those fans of the Websters Dictionary or the Real Academia Española, I say: Inclusive language is not using the "e" or the "x". Inclusive and non-sexist language is one of the tools to advance real equality between women and men; as well as to accelerate the process of inclusion of people who do not identify with these genders and are excluded in colloquial language (trans, non-binary, queer people, among others). Mainly, it implies the reduction of the use of the generic masculine (specially in Spanish) and seeks to break with patriarchal stereotypes. Let us remember that language is not only written, but also graphic, so it is important to analyze what we are showing: Is workplace diversity visible in terms of gender, skills, race and age? Do we advertise focusing on same-sex couples? Do we make visible the participation of women in leadership roles? Are we aware if we are falling into corporate sins like pinkwashing? Constantly check your promotion channels to see if you are excluding part of your market. 📢
Rights do not have a birthday date
As I already mentioned, pride goes beyond June. Throughout the year there are dates to celebrate diversity and dissidences. Every month there is an opportunity to support and, above all, to continue educating on these topics (March 31, May 17, November 20 and many more, for example*). For this reason, it is also important to promote respect for LGBTIQ rights in the internal and external communication channels and in the marketing strategy of your organization, including them in the planning of products, services and customer service throughout the year. In my socials, you can see the calendar of dates every month. 🗓️
Are you ready for a self-diagnose?
Review company policies and benefits and make sure they cover every single person. This is a point that I have stressed several times and is part of the Come Out! Inclusive Routine, however, many times companies do not realize that some of their benefits are privileges of the majority. Especially in countries that do not respect or promote LGBTQ+ rights. Make sure that the company leaves for marriage, vacation, sickness, adoption, surrogacy, among others, covers all staff regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, as well as their partners or spouses.
Finally, remember that it is important to hold trainings and workshops throughout the year for your staff on issues of inclusion, not only LGBTQ+, but diversity in general. Topics such as unconscious biases, privileges, leadership, communication and recruitment, are some of those that can be put on the agenda to continue advancing towards an organizational culture open to everyone.📖
It is not possible to expand our points of view if the reflections are limited to certain topics, months or people. We need to open up and discuss much more. We have to understand that, as individuals and professionals, we need different perspectives in order to evolve and grow. Pride Month (or season) may be over, but businesses can benefit from including diverse thoughts every day of the year.
And you? What other actions can you think of to promote pride 24/7? 🤔
*March 31st: Trans Awareness Day
May 17th: International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
November 20th: Trans Remembrance Day