4 Ways Employers Can Celebrate Pride Virtually – and Meaningfully – This Year
As we enter the fourth month of coronavirus lockdown, Pride is looking a little different this year: parades, marches, parties, volunteer events – all cancelled. If your company typically has a full slate of activities planned throughout June to celebrate Pride Month, you might be scratching your head, wondering how to show collective support for your LGBTQ+ employees and broader community without in-person gatherings.
This June is unlike any other, between the continuing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic keeping everyone at home as a cautionary measure, and the rising tides of Black Americans calling for racial justice and police abolition. 2020 is pushing us all to rethink our allyship, as individuals and as companies and organizations. In light of this, here are some ways your firm can celebrate Pride safely and meaningfully.
Put your dollars to work
It’s easy enough to make an Instagram post or press release saying that your company supports LGBTQ+ people and sympathizes with their struggles, but the best way to show that your organization means it is to put your money where your mouth is. Take the money that your company’s not spending on rainbow merch for the parade this year and turn it into a significant financial donation to organizations that service queer people, be it at a national or hyperlocal level.
In this socio-political moment, it would be particularly appropriate to benefit organizations that are dedicated to issues affecting Black trans folks. Find an organization that feels especially meaningful for your company to get behind. If you’re in or adjacent to the food or restaurant industries, for instance, consider making a corporate donation to The Okra Project, which provides healthy meals to Black trans folks experiencing food insecurity. If your office is headquartered in the South, consider working with House of GG, which provides resources and emotional support to trans women of color living in southern states.
And of course, take this time to evaluate what your company is already doing that might have an effect on queer people. Investigate labor practices in every link of your supply chain – unjust practices and unfair payment are most likely to impact the most vulnerable in society, which includes LGBTQ+ individuals. And if your company makes political contributions, make sure they’re to PACs and individuals that support, rather than try to strip rights from, queer people. If you find something unsavory, put pressure on your leadership to change it. Institutional pressure can and should come from within.
Host a virtual book club (or podcast club, or movie night)
For an activity that’s both social and impactful, gather your team to (remotely) explore some kind of media that touches upon the lives, triumphs, and struggles of LGBTQ+ people, particularly Black and non-black queer people of color.
The options are virtually endless – from classic texts by seminal Black queer writers like James Baldwin and Audre Lorde, to contemporary fiction by queer writers of color, to historical and sociological non-fiction, figure out what your team (either in your department or company-wide) is most interested and structure a discussion group via Zoom.
If movies are more your thing, set up the tools and time for your workplace to stream a film like Moonlight, The Watermelon Woman, Paris is Burning, Pariah, or Tangerine. Share your reactions as you watch via a Slack channel, and gather for a virtual cocktail hour afterward to discuss.
Conduct and publish a study of your industry
Gather statistics and other information as it pertains to LGBTQ+ people in your industry, and share it in an industry-wide press release or social media post. Whether that’s demographic data on how many self-identified bi, gay, lesbian, trans, asexual, and intersex people work in your industry, or a list of significant contributions made to the field by queer people, find out what kind of information you’re able to pull together and share.
Not only will gathering and sharing this kind of information position your company as an authority within the field, but it’s a great way to model transparency and help start and support industry-wide reflection on hiring practices and representation.
Make sure your employee benefits package offers LGBTQ+ specific care services
One of the best ways to support LGBTQ+ employees and attract potential new ones is to make sure your company healthcare package covers services that are of specific interest to gay/lesbian/bisexual and trans employees, such as transition healthcare like hormone replacement therapy and gender confirmation surgeries. It really can’t be understated how much of a difference covering these procedures, which are often expensive and considered elective by insurance companies, can make to trans and gender non-conforming employees and candidates considering your company.
Also worth looking into are coverage of in vitro fertilization and other family planning services. These of course can be useful to employees of all genders and orientations, but could be particularly valuable to LGBTQ+ staff looking to start families. While you’re at it, look at your company’s parental leave policies and see if they could be improved to better support any families, but particularly non-traditional families.
If your company already offers comprehensive health and family resources for LGBTQ+ individuals, fantastic! Make sure these resources are well-publicized to current employees and potential hires, and position your HR team to best answer any questions they may have.
The best ways to celebrate Pride are to actively support the LGBTQ+ community, within your company and beyond
While it’s easy and fun to decorate your company’s website and social media pages with rainbows, you can show that your company is truly dedicated to the cause by making resources available to LGBTQ+ people within its ranks and in the greater community. Whether those resources are financial, informational, medical, or all of the above, use this unusual Pride Month as an opportunity to show that your company not only stands in solidarity with queer people, but is actively trying to make a difference in their lives.
