In this week’s guest column, Leadership and Life Coach and Founder of RELYTE Tashan Nicholas shares why Pride should be celebrated all year round in the workplace, and not just limited to the month of June. He offers some recommendations on how leaders and managers can keep Pride alive throughout the year.
Pride is a great month where we are reminded of how far LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion have come, and the amazing work being done by community members and allies, but also how much work there is still left to do. According to statistics from Stop Hate UK, hate against sexual orientation and gender identity remain the third most reported motivation for hate incidents and crimes. So while there is much cause for celebration, there is still much more work to do.
Pride was originally a protest to defend the life and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. As we head towards an age of increased hostility it’s increasingly important to bring Pride into our everyday. So how can leaders/managers do that and continue to advance equity at work. I believe we need to do more than celebrate Pride just in the month of June. Here are a few ways to keep Pride alive throughout the year in the workplace:
1. Ethnicity-based Cultural Events
I believe it’s vital to celebrate intersectional identities especially when we talk about the cross over with ethnicity. Events such as Black History Month (October 2023), South Asian Heritage month (18 July 2023 to 17 August 2023) and any other ethnicity-based cultural moments act as another opportunity to engage with both communities and drive greater equity and inclusion. UK Black Pride (18 August 2023) has become the largest celebration for African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Caribbean-heritage LGBTQ+ people in the UK. The event attracted over 25,000 attendees last year. The unique experience of being a part of the LGBTQ+ community as well as another minoritised groups is an opportunity to drive greater equity and inclusion.
2. Disability Awareness Month & Disability Pride Month
The UK’s ONS 2021 census highlighted that disabled people make up a greater proportion of the LGBTQ+ community. The data showed that the percentage of disabled people who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another minority sexual orientation (6.4% in England and 6.1% in Wales) was greater than that of non-disabled people (2.6% in England and 2.5% in Wales. Events such as Disability History Month (16 November 2023 – 16 December 2023) and Disability Pride Month (July 2023) also present another opportunity to understand some of the unique unique challenges faced by those who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and has a disability.
3. Transgender Awareness week and Transgender Day of Remembrance
According to the national LGBT Survey, carried out by the Government Equalities office, transgender people being more likely to experience threats of physical or sexual harassment or violence compared with the LGBT community as a whole. This highlights the growing importance of observing Transgender Awareness week (Sunday 13 November 2023 – Monday 19 November 2023) and Transgender Day of Remembrance (Tuesday 20 November 2023) at work. Observing and celebrating these events give us an opportunity to create intra-community allyship.
4. Mental Health Awareness Week
Statistics from Stop Hate UK also show that LGBTQ+ community are one and a half times more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorder compared to the rest of the population. With this in mind, mental health related events like Mental Health Awareness Week (13 May 2024 – 20 May 2024) act as a great opportunity to shine a light on the support needed in the community.
CONCLUSION
The above events highlight just a few examples of how Pride can live beyond June in the workplace. The accompanying eye-opening data highlights why it’s a must for organisations to celebrate Pride all year round, and prove their ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tashan Nicholas, is Coach and Founder of RELYTE. He focuses on empowering leaders, and helps them to create inclusive and high performing teams and organisations.
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