Why celebrating Pride Month in the workplace is important

Pride Month falls in June every year to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which included riots and protests against the discrimination and police treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. Former President Bill Clinton gave Pride Month official government recognition by declaring June as Pride Month in 1999.

Having that historical context can help you understand why this celebration is important to people in the community. When you celebrate Pride at work, you can create these positive effects:

Support for diversity, equity and inclusion: Pride celebrations can support your DEI initiatives at the office. It helps create a more inclusive, positive work environment for all employees.

Positive reputation: It’s not just your employees that notice your support of Pride Month. Recognizing the LGBTQ+ community during June and throughout the year can show that you’re a compassionate, inclusive employer. It could help attract new clients and candidates who align with your company’s values.

However, be sure that your efforts are not performative. Ensure that pride celebrations are meaningful, involve input from the community, and include tangible actions that drive progress and equality beyond just symbolic gestures.

Employee education and understanding: Pride events can help employees learn more about the struggles of the community and the history of the celebrations many cities host today. It can foster empathy and understanding among your employees.

Ways to celebrate Pride Month at work

You can celebrate Pride in various ways depending on how involved you want to be. Sprinkling in Pride events throughout the month shows ongoing efforts to create an inclusive environment. Consider these ways to celebrate Pride Month with your employees.

1. Host learning opportunities

Pride Month is the perfect time to organize a learning series for your employees. You might cover the history of Pride Month, discrimination in the workplace, using inclusive language, why pronouns matter and other topics relevant to your workforce. Some examples of formats you can use include:

• Brown bag lunches for a quick learning session
• An afternoon of speakers
• Trivia about Pride Month
• Pride Month book club

When planning learning activities, avoid assuming that your LGBTQ+ employees will have the capacity to educate others. Although some employees may wish to share their stories or help educate their peers, others might not want to. Consider hiring outside trainers and speakers to handle learning activities and other events.

2. Volunteer

Celebrating Pride Month in the workplace doesn’t have to happen within the walls of your company. Volunteering for an organization that supports gay rights or the LGBTQ+ community is a way to celebrate Pride that makes a difference in your community. It shows real action and can help to show employees that you’re genuine in your support.

Reach out to various organizations in the area to find an opportunity for your team. Schedule a day when everyone volunteers for the nonprofit instead of working. Offering paid volunteer time off for the day is an incentive to participate and shows that you value the cause.

3. Participate in Pride Month events

Many cities host parades, street fairs, entertainment and other Pride activities during June. Participating as an organization in those events is another way to take your Pride celebration into the community. However you choose to participate, whether marching in the parade or hosting a booth, can be an excellent opportunity to show your support.

If your area doesn’t have any local festivities, consider looking for virtual Pride events to attend with your team.

4. Support LGBTQ+ partners and companies

Going beyond your employees can show how committed you are to being an ally. If you work with any LGBTQ+ companies, show your support to them with a gift basket, recognition on your social media or recommend them to other business owners.

You can also use Pride Month as a time to start searching for LGBTQ+ companies that you can work with in the future. If you don’t need any new vendors, you could find local companies with LGBTQ+ owners and buy gift cards to their businesses as employee incentives. Working with companies owned by individuals in marginalized groups helps improve your company’s diversity on a larger scale.

5. Share on social media

Another way to show people outside of your company that you’re an ally is by posting on social media. Things you can post include:

• Information about local Pride celebrations
• Pronouns in social media profiles
• Facts about the history of Pride Month
• Quotes from famous people in the LGBTQ+ community
• Photos or videos from your company’s Pride celebrations

6. Consider launching new HR initiatives

If you haven’t reviewed your policies and procedures lately, now is a good time to ensure they’re inclusive and supportive. Look at how you handle discrimination, your DEI initiatives, your communication policies and pay equity to see if you need to make adjustments. If you’ve already been working on new initiatives or updated policies, unveil them during Pride Month.

7. Donate to a charity

Contributing financially to organizations that support gay rights can also make a difference. These organizations can push change on a higher level, such as local and state governments, and often support the people directly affected by discrimination.

To get your employees involved, offer incentives for them to donate to the cause. You might host a Pride-related contest or offer to let your employees put you in a dunk tank or smash a pie in your face if you reach a certain amount. Matching the donations with a contribution from your company can also encourage people to donate more.

Tips to celebrate Pride effectively

Careful planning and intention behind your Pride activities make them feel more meaningful. These tips can help you make the most of your celebration:

• Share ownership in planning: The events can be more meaningful when you involve employees in the planning or get their input on how they want to celebrate. LGBTQ+ employees might want a voice in how they’re represented. Employees who aren’t in that community might have specific things they want to learn or understand.
• Act with sincerity: Everything you plan should be with sincere care for your employees and with the intention of creating a safe environment for everyone. Your employees will be able to tell that you’re sincere in supporting them.
• Plan multiple ways to celebrate: Pride Month lasts throughout June, so use the full month to show support and create a solid foundation of allyship. But remember that your efforts shouldn’t be confined to just one month.
• Don’t force the spotlight: You might want to celebrate your LGBTQ+ employees, but they might not all want the attention. Always make sure your employees are comfortable with the spotlight.
• Talk about the activities: Make sure your employees know about your plans to celebrate Pride. Keep them updated on how they can get involved and what they can gain from participating.
• Continue being an ally: Pride Month is just the beginning when it comes to showing your support for the LGBTQ+ community. If you haven’t regularly acted as an ally, use these celebrations to launch year-round efforts to be inclusive and supportive.