Pride at work: Allyship and LGBTQ community
Allyship plays a significant role in creating a more inclusive and fair culture, where everyone can enjoy the same rights and opportunities regardless of their gender, sexuality, or race. As nice and comfortable as it can feel to be a passive supporter, allyship is an opportunity to take this a step further through active participation, such as for the LGBTQ+ community. In the workplace more specifically, allyship highlights how everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, deserves to feel safe to express themself and have the same career opportunities. Moreover, allyship is a great way to spread awareness of important matters such as the common challenges that LGBTQ communities are facing and this helps to prevent discrimination.
In 2020, data revealed that cases involving sexual orientation discrimination have increased by 165 percent since 2015. Statistics like this show the need to act in order to prevent such cases from increasing any further. This is why for this year's Pride Month we are particularly focusing on how we can create a healthier and more inclusive corporate industry together through allyship with LGBTQ+ members.
How can you become an ally? Allyship is fairly simple, if you accept that people who identify as LGBTQ+ should be treated equally and fairly in society, then you are already an ally. Although to be an active ally, you must perform certain activities to be a force for good change.
Familiarise yourself with appropriate vocabulary
To be part of the allyship for your LGBTQ+ colleagues, you need to introduce the right terminology and inclusive vocabulary into your everyday language. Even though it might feel like a minor change, it is an important step that you can take to ensure everyone around you feels respected and included. It is also crucial to recognise how language constantly evolves and our need to remain open to new concepts and ideas. For example, learning about pronouns will allow you to respect your colleagues' identities.
By the definition, pronouns are a set of words used as substitutes for nouns or noun phrases, whose referents are named or understood in the context. Although, in English, pronouns are gendered based, which means that we use them to refer to a person’s gender. However, we shouldn’t assume an individual gender based on their appearance. This is why including your pronouns in your email signature, social media profile, or asking about someone else should be among our standard practices.
Educate yourself to be a part of Allyship
Learning about the history of the LGBTQ+ community is an amazing way to demonstrate your dedication and commitment to becoming an ally. Along with honouring the effort and sacrifices of members in the past, it is important to realise how far LGBTQ+ activists have come in order to fully comprehend the remaining challenges yet to be overcome. Gaining knowledge of LGBTQ+ communities will allow you to get a fundamental understanding of their challenges at work and the possible obstacles they may face due to their sexuality, gender, or other related aspects. Becoming part of allyship at your workplace will give you a new perspective on how you can appreciate those differences and fully embrace your colleague's rights to equity at work.
Be affirming
Allyship highlights the importance of creating a fair and equitable work environment, therefore every ally needs to be affirmative in their actions. For instance, if one of your colleagues decides to vent on you about the obstacles they are experiencing as someone who identifies as gay, simply be respectful and listen. Making sure you hear what they have to say is just as important as taking action.
Uncover your unconscious biases
Knowing your implicit biases can help you understand how to become a better ally to LGBTQ individuals. Here you can learn more about types of unconscious biases, and how you can eliminate them. Being aware of them is essential to allyship to understand how to bring change within ourselves fully.
Why is Allyship so important?
Almost 80% of non-LGBTQ respondents agree that LGBTQ people should not be forced to hide their identities. However, 59% of the same group believe it is unprofessional to discuss about their sexual orientation or gender identity at work. Such contradictions show deep-rooted issues in our society. Allyship in the workplace is essentially an effective solution for educating your employees and colleagues about being respectful and supportive to everyone regardless of any one gender, sexuality, or race. Allyship for the LGBTQ+ community promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, to allow them to fully unlock their potential and climb the career ladder. If you are looking for a trusted partner that will guide your organisation on how to include allyship practices in your workplace, contact us here.
