10 Ways To Support LGBTQ+ Colleagues During June’s Pride Month And Beyond

June is LGBTQ+ Pride month, a time to commemorate The Stonewall riots in June 1969. While some political leaders call the rioters outrageous, recently President Joe Biden called them courageous, encouraging supporters to stand up to the bullies. June 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s signing of the Executive Order Advancing Equality for LGBTQI+ Individuals, and welcoming LGBTQI+ families, advocates, elected officials and leaders to the White House for a reception.

The White House Executive Order built on the historic progress Biden has made for LGBTQI+ people by including the following:

• Addressing discriminatory legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ children and families, directing key agencies to protect families and children
• Preventing so-called “conversion therapy” with a historic initiative to protect children from the harmful practice
• Safeguarding health care, and programs designed to prevent youth suicide
• Supporting LGBTQI+ children and families by launching a new initiative to protect foster youth, prevent homelessness and improve access to federal programs
• Taking new, additional steps to advance LGBTQI+ equality

The State Of LGBTQ+ Equality In The Workplace

Since President Biden took this historic step, a new poll shows that there is a clear disconnect between LGBTQ+ worker presence and their coworkers’ knowledge of their existence. In honor of Pride month, Monster polled American workers to get their perspectives on navigating gender and identity in the workforce. The survey reported that one in three (34%) of workers self-identify as LGBTQ or a member of the queer community, while the majority (55%) of workers estimate their workforce’s percentage of LGBTQ employees to be fewer than two percent. LGBTQ and straight/cisgender employees have varying levels of comfort disclosing gender identity and sexuality within their employment. Other key findings include:

• 45% of straight workers say their colleagues know their sexuality, while only 19% of LGTBQ+ workers say the same.
• 24% of straight/cisgender workers are comfortable sharing their sexual orientation or gender identity during the job application process, while only 13% of LGTBQ+ workers say the same.

In terms of inclusion and support for queer employees, the poll found that workplaces have far to go:

• 76% of workers say that their employer does not offer an employee resource or support group for LGBTQ+ employees.
• 79% are never asked their pronouns when first meeting coworkers.
• 9% identifying as LGBTQ+ are “out” in their personal life, but not at work.

How Can The Workplace Catch Up?

Although progress is being made at the federal level, the workplace still has a way to go to abolish ignorance, harassment and discrimination. Here are ten actions employees and employers need to consider to help create equality for LGBTQ+ workers:

1. Educate yourself on the LGBTQ+ population, not what you’ve learned from bathroom jokes, religious condemnations or media stereotypes. If you don’t have gay, lesbian or transgendered coworkers or acquaintances, read up about them or speak with friends or family members who know more than you do. You won’t have to look very far.
2. Raise awareness among employees that June has been designated LGBTQ+ Pride Month by posting signs, sending memos or making announcements at regularly scheduled meetings. Consider mentioning some of the activities that are happening locally, nationally and worldwide.
3. Be sensitive and respectful to all gender orientations and identities and don’t make assumptions. It’s a common practice for people to assume a coworker or a client is your same sexual orientation, marital status or religious persuasion. Case in point: when a lesbian friend of mine had a pre-op interview for surgery, the nurse asked, “Who will be on site to drive you home?” The patient answered, “My spouse.” The nurse responded, “What’s his name?” This common assumption continues to be made by businesses and puts LGBTQ+ clients and workers in the awkward position of correcting them. What can seem like a minor issue is actually symptomatic of a larger issue for discussion in the workforce. When it comes to getting the job done, sexual orientation doesn’t matter, anyway. But if does, that’s a call for leaders to lead a discussion on why it’s that important.
4. Lead by example. Your support doesn’t have to be grandiose. Sometimes subtle and simple work best. Without grandstanding, you can demonstrate openness with your own sensitivities regarding inclusion and support for all people at work, especially people who are not like you. If you’re an employer, you can announce that neither homophobia nor sexual harassment of any kind will be tolerated in your work environment.
5. Speak out if a coworker uses offensive verbal comments, tells a disparaging joke about an LGBTQ+ person or shows homophobia about another employee in your workplace. It’s important to let the person know that such actions are inappropriate in a professional setting or anywhere for that matter.
6. Make sure your employee handbook is up to date and inclusive and that your company specifically references sexual orientation and inclusive of all chosen genders and pronouns in anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. An anti-discrimination policy might look something like this: “The employer is an ‘equal opportunity employer.’ The employer will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
7. Consider a welcoming sign if your company serves the public that welcomes patrons of difference and diversity such as one at the entrance to a popular restaurant in Asheville, NC: “We welcome all cultures, all religions, all colors, all beliefs, all ages, all sizes, all types, all people.”
8. Request that professional conferences you attend post notices on bathroom doors and around the conference center about anti-harassment. It has become customary at many business conferences, where diverse groups of people convene, to raise the awareness of attendees with such notices: This facility is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone at its conferences. We do not tolerate harassment of attendees in any form. Violators of this Anti-Harassment Policy may be sanctioned or expelled from the event at the discretion of the event organizers.
9. Establish all-gender or gender-neutral restrooms, so employees can use the facilities they find most comfortable.
10. Provide a family leave policy that treats all parents equally, health insurance that covers hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery for those employees seeking to transition and medical leave for colleagues who are transitioning.