1. Bring LGBTQ+ education to the fore

Pride month was not started as a celebration — its history is marked by the violence and bravery of Stonewall protesters who stood up for their rights and identities in 1969. You can take this opportunity to run educational seminars and history lectures that encourage trust, empathy, and camaraderie between LGBT employees and others. All of these emotions are markers of a strong remote workforce and LGBT employees would appreciate peers getting to know their history without carrying the “burden” of explaining everything.

Other than that, use this opportunity to wear your pride on your sleeve. Change your socials and Zoom background to pride-themed visuals, and do fun events such as pride bingo and pride playlists to create a welcoming atmosphere.

2. Prevent isolation in the workplace

No one likes to feel alone in a room full of people. LGBT employees live through loneliness more often than their employers think and this creates undue stress at work, preventing them from bringing their whole self to work.

Try identifying when your remote employees are not able to wholeheartedly contribute to conversations because of their “onlyness” and give them space to feel comfortable instead of pushing them to share details. Encourage employees to openly discuss LGBT rights, discrimination, and events to reduce the loneliness felt by their LGBT coworkers. More than 50% of employees think their companies should do more in building an inclusive workforce, so kick off a long-term D&I strategy as we exit June.

3. Increase representation in senior roles

People learn from people. When LGBT folks see other LGBT folks in senior roles, they get inspired to do more for the company. However, underrepresentation is a serious issue today. LGBT women make up 2.3% of entry-level employees but their representations drop as they move to senior roles — with only 0.6% of senior VP and C-suite roles belonging to LGBT women. If you want to show how proud you’re of your LGBT employees, promote high-performers to important positions. Today, 76% of job seekers consider an inclusive workplace to be a key factor in joining a company and there’s nothing better than allowing LGBT employees in senior positions to attract new talents.

4. Financially contribute to LGBT causes

Actions speak louder than words and financially helping LGBT communities is one of the most effective ways to show you care about your employees. As June ends, still actively support LGBT and minority-run businesses, fundraise for LGBT charities and allow employees to donate to LGBT causes with company rewards programs. This way, you’ll align individual identities with the company value system and build a safe space for everyone.

LaunchSource was created on the beliefs of equity, diversity, and inclusion and we are helping remote companies achieve the same. We not only have the largest pool of vetted candidates for tech profiles but we also boast of incredibly diverse talents from minority and LGBT communities. Pride month allows you to stand up for the LGBT values and you can make a mark by hiring them with LaunchSource.

As Pride Month comes to a close and our banners and articles come done, it’s easy to forget that we are in a country and world that is still learning and adjusting to a new workplace. One that is accommodating for all teammates; that provides the safe work environment we all deserve.  

Celebrating Pride is not just a trend, and it should not just be specific to June, so it is necessary to continue our support throughout the year. We urge you to persist in backing the LGBT+ community, even when nobody is looking.

Helping the LGBT+ community is essential for providing a safe workspace – Consider checking out the LaunchSource method and how hiring with LaunchSource helps the community.

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