Inclusivity In The Workplace
June is an important and exciting month for the LGBTQ+ community as it marks the celebration of Pride Month! We are reflecting on the month that called for the celebration of progress made and inspires more acceptance, representation, and change. Shifts in public opinion have rapidly increased, and more positive attitudes towards pride are shared worldwide. TwentyTwo strongly believes in fostering a positive working environment for all our employees to ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable while at work and in the greater community. Let’s shimmy into some of the societal shifts we’ve been noticing!
Increasing Inclusivity Of LGBTQ+
Over recent years, online and offline discussions around pride and inclusivity have steadily increased. As a result of the increased news coverage discussing the LGBTQ+ community, the digital media landscape has evolved to be much more inclusive than ever before. Although not perfect, there is movement in the right direction, and looking into the future, we are expecting to exist in a much more colourful and harmonious society!
According to BCQ, today’s workforce “is far more racially diverse and more likely to include women, transgender employees, and people with more varied sexual orientations than in the past, particularly among younger generations”. This suggests that the workforce is moving towards more inclusive and welcoming workplaces that are free from judgement and negativity, creating a safer space for all employees!
Digital Media’s Impact and Growing Representation
The Pride Movement has been impacted positively through increased representation in television shows, commercials, and social media. Popular shows such as Modern Family and Sex Education that star same-sex couples have helped support the movement towards a more inclusive media space through their lovable, witty, and personable characters. Even streaming services like Netflix have added LGBTQ+ categories to their platforms to create a welcoming space for everyone. Social media channels are powerful tools where the younger generation is exposed to various movements and groups that previous generations were not. This allows these generations to be more inclusive and accepting of groups such as the LGBTQ+ community.
Social media campaigns throughout pride month have also become more common. LEGO created a campaign by reworking their ‘Everything is Awesome’ song from The Lego Movie to be a pride campaign titled ‘Everyone is Awesome’. They launched a landing page on their website dedicated to pride month that included interviews with their employees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, virtual meeting backgrounds for pride, plus a new ‘Everyone is Awesome’ rainbow LEGO set. This is an example of a sincere campaign that showcases LEGO’s support of its employees and consumers that are a part of the community and those who celebrate pride.
How Can You Be An Ally During Pride Month?
Despite the movement towards more inclusive workplaces, there is still work to be done. Whilst social media can provide a safe place for those in the community, there is still a lot of negativity and harassment that can take place. On the work front, not all employees feel comfortable in their work environment, but there are many things we can all do to make everyone feel awesome and welcomed!.
To make the workplace a more inclusive and supportive environment, here are a few steps you can take:
- Create and make your team aware of LGBTQ+ supportive policies, such as anti-discrimination policies, non-gendered dress codes, and employee workshops highlighting inclusive workplace culture practices.
- Create a strong support network in the office. Giving employees a place to share their thoughts and have a voice to discuss issues shows your commitment to creating a safe workplace.
- Embrace changes. With constant changes to inclusivity, it is essential to stay up to date on changing attitudes, such as the use of gender-neutral language, non-gendered bathrooms, and the ability to list pronouns on social media profiles.
The best thing you can do is continue to learn as much as possible and get involved within your workplace and the wider community. There are many resources available to expand your knowledge and be a better ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Staying up to date on current events and LGBTQ+ history as well as recognising your own biases that inform your thinking will help you increase your understanding of individuals in your workplace. You can start learning by reading this article on how to be a good LGBTQ+ ally.
We hope you had the most amazing and Happy Pride Month! 🌈
