For decades the rainbow flag has united the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ (LGBTQ+) community and serves as a symbol of diversity and solidarity.
By Robin Fisher, senior area vice-president at Salesforce Emerging Markets
Pride Month, as well as being a time to celebrate, has also been an opportunity to commemorate and recognise the impact that members of the LGBTQ+ community have had on history at a global, national, and local level.
Although this year’s activities have changed due to the pandemic, the principles of equality remain the same. Ultimately, every employee wants to feel like they belong; to be seen, heard, empowered, and valued. By championing LGBTQ+ inclusion we can cultivate a more equal workplace and society.
Cultivating Equality at Work
The economic and business case for promoting equality is clear. According to Open For Business’ Working Globally: Why LGBT+ Inclusion is Key to Competitiveness report, evidence shows that LGBTQ+ inclusive cities have stronger ‘innovation ecosystems’; stronger financial performance flows from the increased ability of LGBTQ+ inclusive companies to attract and retain talent, to build customer loyalty and brand strength.
There are four ways companies can cultivate an open and inclusive culture:
* They can build employee resource groups, bringing together employees who are allies of equality in sexual orientation and gender identity, and to educate their ecosystem on how diversity and inclusion create business success.
* They can embed inclusive business practices and scale training online, on inclusive leadership and how to mitigate unconscious bias.
* Normalising the use of personal pronouns in the workplace demonstrates respect, intention, and inclusion.
* Finally, a critical part of the journey towards equality is encouraging allyship. Even if employees don’t identify as LGBTQ+, they can support and show up for others – asking questions, practicing empathetic listening, engaging in equality efforts and events inside the company and beyond.
Advocating for a Better Society
To truly build a workplace that looks like society, representation matters. Teams want to see themselves reflected in leadership. They also expect words to be matched by actions.
For businesses to be the greatest platform for change, equality must be at the centre of everything we do. Our objective must be to create an inclusive workplace where the LGBTQ+ community feels valued and respected in order to thrive at their organisation. Together, we can encourage partners to join the journey of allyship, to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community everywhere and advocate equality for all.