The LGBTQ+ community has long been recognized for its resilience, unyielding creativity, and ingenuity. In visible moments like Pride Month—when we come together and blend the individual threads of our community with those of our allies and authentic corporate commitments—we can see the magnificent tapestry, and the progress, that our combined efforts have the potential to produce, in both measurable and lasting ways.
And 2023 demands progress—progress for the LGBTQ+ community, for all historically overlooked and marginalized groups, and for our allies, inside our workplaces and beyond. Already this year, lawmakers across the United States and around the globe have introduced hundreds of bills and other anti-LGBTQ+ efforts restricting the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people. Many of these bills directly target trans people, LGBTQ+ people of color, and their families. These attacks against our community require us to join as a cohesive community of LGBTQ+ people and allies, with influential backing from workplace institutions, so we can persevere and thrive and realize the inclusive world we seek.
Out & Equal’s 2023 Pride Guide is designed to embrace and amplify the remarkable beauty of a community united in love, joy, and progress, while also supporting change agents within organizations—be they individual contributors, employee resource group members, or teams—in bringing inclusive conversations and celebrations into the workplace during the month of June and throughout the year.
Express Your Pride
Pride Month is a great opportunity to show your personal pride and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Consider taking the following actions to amplify your reach:
Sample:
SUSAN LIEU | HR Manager
Inclusivity Matters Inc.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
I am an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and member of [insert company’s LGBTQ+ ERG name]
Update Your Email Signature
Add pronouns to your email signature: Including pronouns in your email signature adds clarity to how you would like to be addressed while also indicating that you are respectful to the recipients’ choice of pronouns.
Include a line about your participation in your organization’s LGBTQ+ initiatives, notably LGBTQ+ Employee and/or Business Resource Groups (ERGs /BRGs) and indicate that you are an Ally.
Update Your Social Media and Zoom Backgrounds
Celebrate and demonstrate your pride by using the creative assets below throughout the month of June.
Post photos of your organization’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month events and ERG activities on social media and tag @outandequal.
Download Social Assets
Wear Your Pride Swag
Wear your company’s Pride swag or Out & Equal gear to your next ERG meeting.
Shop NowSouthern States Forum
JUNE 15, 2023 | MOBILE, ALABAMA
The premier LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion conference focused on the US Southern States brought its Pride-themed forum to Mobile, Alabama on June 15th, 2023.
Forum Recap
Celebrate With Your Employee Resource Group
Pride Month is a perfect time to increase engagement with your fellow ERG members—colleagues who, like you, have chosen to leverage their influence as internal change agents by committing their time and expertise toward creating more equitable and inclusive work environments for LGBTQ+ talent. Use these ideas as reference for how you want to engage with your ERG throughout the year.
Tips for Success
SHARE YOUR PLAN
At the beginning of the month host a kick-off meeting or send an email detailing all the upcoming events.
BROADEN YOUR REACH
Consider including other ERGs to participate in your programming—remember that being a member of the LGBTQ+ community or ally is one part of an intersecting identity.
REFLECT
At the end of the month ask members to share their thoughts on the programming, and highlights of their pride experience. This information is very useful for future planning efforts.
PLAN EARLY
It’s never too early to start planning ahead. Based on your reflections from Pride Month 2023, consider anew which events you would like to host or promote and create a calendar to build engagement and support.
Celebration Ideas
Attend a Pride Celebration:
Organize a meetup at one of your local Pride events. Celebrating as a group and representing your company is a wonderful way to show unity and build your community.
Host a Talent Show:
Pride Month is about embracing and celebrating who you are—who we are—as individuals and as a collective LGBTQ+ community. What better way to do so than by encouraging members to share their talents with one another. This event can be virtual or in-person and it is bound to be bonding experience for all involved.
Play Trivia:
A critical component of inclusion is understanding the real history of diverse groups. Inspire curiosity and elevate learning by hosting a Pride-themed trivia hour to test colleagues on their LGTBQ+ knowledge and pop culture.
Show your pride:
Plan a day in June when everyone in your ERG wears their favorite work-appropriate Pride outfit or Pride ERG t-shirt and swag.
Host a storytelling session:
Sharing your personal story can make a great impact on someone’s life and provide a sense of empowerment within yourself. Celebrate identities by hosting either small groups of 4-5 people for a more intimate connection or consider a Ted-talk style presentation where a few people share with the rest of the ERG. Need help crafting your story? Utilize the Out & Equal storytelling guide to learn how to share authentic stories at work.
Organize a Movie/Book Club:
Connect with fellow movie buffs and/or bibliophiles to discuss LGBTQ+ focused media. Vote on which book or movie the club should focus on and gather at the end of the month to discuss. Looking for inspiration? Use Out & Equal’s curated list of movies, TV shows, and books.