As LGBTQ+ Pride Month approaches in June, organizations have an opportunity to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in meaningful and impactful ways. While changing a company logo to a rainbow during Pride Month is a visible sign of inclusion, it's crucial for organizations to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the year. This is especially important in light of the current legislative landscape, with a staggering 484 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the United States, according to the ACLU. These bills underscore the ongoing challenges and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community, making it imperative for organizations to go beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete actions to create inclusive environments.
In the first part of my blog post, I share strategies for ensuring that Pride Month celebrations are intersectional, diverse, and historically grounded. I then highlight the importance of ongoing inclusion efforts throughout the year, including strategies for education, policy review, advocacy, and more. Finally, I provide some incredible resources to support these efforts.
It is a true privilege and pleasure to be part of the dynamic ModelExpand team. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts on this incredibly important topic.
#InclusionMatters#DiversityAndInclusion#LGBTQAllyship#YearRoundPride#InclusiveWorkplace
🌈 Moving Beyond Rainbows: Planning for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Year-Round Inclusion 🌈
As LGBTQ+ Pride Month approaches, it's essential for organizations to move beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete actions to support the LGBTQ+ community. Our latest blog by Damon Maassen, CPTD, Senior Consultant at ModelExpand, explores how to celebrate LGBTQ+ history and achievements inclusively and highlights comprehensive strategies for organizations to create more inclusive and supportive environments.
Dive into the full blog to learn more and let’s explore how we can work together to build a workplace where everyone feels welcomed and valued. 🌎 ✨
👉 Link: https://lnkd.in/dr_kmXrS#PrideMonth#Inclusion#LGBTQ#WorkplaceCulture#ModelExpand#DEI#Leadership#EmployeeExperience#LGBTQInclusion#YearRoundInclusion
As an LGBTQ+ person, I know that the culture of the company you work for strongly affects both your work experience and daily life. I am happy to say that Strata has warmly welcomed me since I started, and it’s wonderful to be part of a company that supports LGBTQ+ people.
It’s very important to highlight that as a community, we need to occupy more spaces, and the construction industry is one of them.
According to a survey conducted in 2016 by the Construction Leadership Council, the LGBTQ+ community represented only 2% of construction employees. Among those LGBTQ+ surveyed, around 39% reported facing routine discrimination from colleagues or clients.
While some aspects of our society seem to be improving since then, much work remains to be done. Facing this kind of situation in the workplace, or in any space, is completely unacceptable, and the community needs allies to fight against discrimination and inequality. If you are not part of the community, please remember that your support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, dignity, and well-being are more than necessary, and your solidarity can make a big difference. 🏳️🌈✊
Mí Bróid Shona Duit (Happy Pride Month)! This month at Strata ,we celebrate the resilience, and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. We also use this opportunity to drive for change by delivering education to our team on how we can foster an even more inclusive construction industry. We stand proud and united in support of equality and love for all. 🌈 #PrideMonth#LGBTQ+ #Inclusion#Equality#Strata
🔔 I’m beyond proud to share this fabulous blog post written by my incredible colleague Damon Maassen, CPTD– “Moving Beyond Rainbows: Planning for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Year-Round Inclusion.”
A lot of recent media pieces about the current state of the DEI industry have advanced overly simplistic takes that fail to acknowledge what we see on the ground every day in our work with clients. While the legal and political landscape has indeed shifted, so too have the workforce’s explicit expectations for safety and support for LBGTQ+ team members, especially given an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and generational shifts in the labor market.
In 2022, 7.6% of the adult population identified as LGBTQ+, representing more than double the rate in 2012*. A main catalyst for this societal change can be attributed to Gen Z. 28% of all Gen Zers report being members of the LGBTQ+ population, and Gen Zers are expected to constitute nearly ⅓ of the labor force by the end of the 2020s.** A similar percentage of LGBTQ+ employees have left their employers because of a lack of support for their sexual and/or gender identity.**
So what’s the solution?
Damon offers some actionable tips for employers to uplift and amplify LGBTQ+ teammates year-round, through both behavioral and structural initiatives. Behavioral initiatives focus on how team members in an organization interact with and learn from, one another. Structural initiatives involve transforming processes, systems, and tools.
A few of my favorite recommendations from his piece include:
❇ Historical Recognition: Take the time to educate employees and stakeholders about the historical milestones, struggles, and achievements of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Incorporate historical context into Pride Month programming, including discussions, documentaries, guest speakers, or educational resources highlighting key moments in LGBTQ+ history.
❇ Honor LGBTQ+ Trailblazers: Recognize and honor LGBTQ+ trailblazers, leaders, activists, and advocates who have made significant contributions to advancing LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Host awards ceremonies, panel discussions, or virtual tributes to celebrate their impact and legacy.
❇ Engage in Advocacy: Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality both internally and externally. Stay informed about legislative developments impacting the LGBTQ+ community and actively support initiatives that promote inclusivity and social justice.
❇ Review Policies and Benefits: Evaluate company policies, benefits, and practices to ensure they are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ employees. This includes non-discrimination policies, gender-neutral language, healthcare coverage for transgender individuals, and family leave policies that recognize diverse family structures.
Check out the full post below!
Sources:
*Gallop News (2024): “LGBTQ+ Identification in the US”
**Ten Thousand Coffees (2024): “The State of LGBTQ+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace in 2024”
🌈 Moving Beyond Rainbows: Planning for LGBTQ+ Pride Month and Year-Round Inclusion 🌈
As LGBTQ+ Pride Month approaches, it's essential for organizations to move beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete actions to support the LGBTQ+ community. Our latest blog by Damon Maassen, CPTD, Senior Consultant at ModelExpand, explores how to celebrate LGBTQ+ history and achievements inclusively and highlights comprehensive strategies for organizations to create more inclusive and supportive environments.
Dive into the full blog to learn more and let’s explore how we can work together to build a workplace where everyone feels welcomed and valued. 🌎 ✨
👉 Link: https://lnkd.in/dr_kmXrS#PrideMonth#Inclusion#LGBTQ#WorkplaceCulture#ModelExpand#DEI#Leadership#EmployeeExperience#LGBTQInclusion#YearRoundInclusion
The LGBTQ+ community faces several challenges everyday, including discrimination in the workplace. Here are some things you can do to promote inclusivity in the workplace, and why providing support for your LGBTQ+ employees is also a good business move. #PrideMonth#LGBTQ+ #workplace#inclusivityhttps://lnkd.in/ghgSVBE2
This Pride Month, let's discuss how we can create more inclusive workplaces. Share your ideas on fostering a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues. What actions have you seen make a real difference? Your insights can help build better workplaces for all. 🌈
#PrideMonth#WorkplaceInclusion#LGBTQ#Ally#DiversityEquityInclusion
For International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we wanted to shine a light on the fact that one in five (19%) of LGBTQ+ young adults experience bullying in the workplace, and a quarter of them said they went 'back in the closet' when they started work, according to a report from Just Like Us.
We have previously discussed the phenomenon of LGBTQ+ employees feeling they had to go 'back in the closet' (which you can read about here: https://lnkd.in/dxskEi-4), and believe that this issue captures why building a culture with a foundation of inclusion and belonging is so important.
#lgbtq#inclusion#dei#culture
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