How Organizations Can Support 2SLGBTQPIA+ Employees Beyond Pride
rainbow washing to actively support 2SLGBTQPIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, pansexual, intersex, asexual, and other employees with diverse gender identification and sexual orientations including non-binary and gender non-conforming) employees.Rainbow washing, according to Power to Fly, is "when companies project an image of LGBTQIA+ inclusion without implementing policies that would make that inclusion a true reality." Research published by the Harvard Business Review shows that 2SLGBTQPIA+-inclusive organizations can attract and attain top talent, win business and loyalty from a more diverse group of consumers, and drive market innovation.Yet research by LinkedIn shows that almost 60 percent of 2SLGBTQPIA+ employees wish their organization did more to create LGBTQ+ inclusion and 36 percent would consider leaving their current employer if it doesn't do more to support 2SLGBTQPIA+ employees.In a moment where the Human Rights Campaign has declared a National State of Emergency for the LGBTQ+ community for the first time in four decades, organizations have an outsized opportunity to meaningfully support 2SLGBTQPIA+ employees in ways that extend far beyond Pride month events.Is your organization elevating, platforming and celebrating LGBTQ+ employees year-round or only during Pride?
Ensure that you include 2SLGBTQPIA+ employees in leadership events, career development sessions, events celebrating and recognizing other heritage and visibility months and days, etc.For example, July is Disability Pride month in the U.S.
Ensuring that 2SLGBTQPIA+ employees with disabilities are highlighted during Disability Pride month is critical to recognizing and celebrating the diversity in both.
