Pride Month: How PR firms can help their LGBTQIA+ colleagues

Pride Month is a time to celebrate LGBTQIA+ people and the rights won. But it’s also a time to remember how far we must go so everyone can be themselves both at home and abroad.

As part of a move to greater inclusion our society, including workplaces, have been striving to show they welcome anybody, no matter your background, community or where you come from. 

Looking more closely at the PR workplace, what can communications firms in the UK do to show support for LGBTQIA+ people this Pride Month and make their workplaces more inclusive? As a gay man myself, here’s what would help (based on my experiences).

Promote open dialogue

Foster a workplace culture where open dialogue is encouraged. Not everyone will feel comfortable being open and it is a process. 

However, if you make it so it feels welcoming and open, hopefully LGBTQIA+ employees will become more comfortable talking about themselves and their experiences.

Listen

As well as open dialogue, listening to LGBTQIA+ people and their experiences can help when it comes to supporting your colleagues. If they want to open up, be willing to listen.

Show you care

Sometimes companies get a bad rep for displaying Pride flags or making alterations to their food or clothing lines to show their ‘support’ for the LGBTQIA+ community. Similar to the last two points, promote open dialogue, listen and show you care. This can be different for different people but organising charity fundraisers, encouraging your LGBTQIA+ colleagues to be themselves, increasing diversity in your organisation, hierarchy and day-to-day operations; all these things can show you care.

Stamp out bullying

While it may be 2023 and it may feel like LGBTQIA+ people have all the rights and protections they need, there may still be bullying. Be sure when a concern or complaint is made, it is stamped out and dealt with. No-one should have to suffer because of their sexuality.

Regularly review your practices/policies so they are LGBTQIA+ friendly

Each PR firm will differ in terms of how they create policies and implement them but be aware of your LGBTQIA+ colleagues when devising policies or thinking of new policies. Can I make this more inclusive? How do we reach more sections of society? Get the experiences of your LGBTQIA+ colleagues so they can be at the heart of the decision-making affecting them.

Create an LGBTQIA+-friendly workplace

Making your workplace as inclusive as possible for LGBTQIA+ people will mean greater happiness and productivity and allow everyone to be themselves while they’re doing their job.

It’s important this Pride Month that PR firms continue taking action so everyone feels they have a voice and everyone matters. It can only benefit you and your company.

We’ve recently teamed up with the makers behind Are the Gays OK? – a podcast on mental health and addiction podcast from LGBTQIA+ people with lived experience – and our support includes recording, editing and distributing the podcast.