LGBTQ+ History month, founded by Schools OUT co-chairs in 2004, is celebrated throughout February. This blog highlights some ways you can support the LGBTQ+ Community by being inclusive, celebrating diversity, and creating a safe space for everyone.
Listen to the Community
Listen and understand what the LBGTQ+ need and want, showing genuine support for the community. Get in touch with charity organisations, and advocacy groups and find out what the community wants and needs from your business. Also, be sensitive but don’t be afraid to ask questions – this will show you are trying to educate yourself and make meaningful changes within your business.
Start within your business
Focus on making changes that will affect your employees, customer, and local community first. Be visible, vocal, and active within your company and the local community. Remember the LGBTQ+ community is full of individuality and self-expression. Put diversity and inclusivity at the forefront of your company policies and don’t assume others already know your stance.
Develop Meaningful and Measurable Actions
Develop diversity goals and objectives that can be measured and that you can be accountable for. Hire leadership and change your recruitment strategy to ensure the community is being represented in all aspects of the business and create a safe space for all who are connected to your business. Create training programmes to recognise and address bias and discrimination and incorporate support programmes within your company policies. Promote gender-neutral language and adapt your company benefits to suit all employees regardless of their sexual orientation, for example, parental leave.
Consistency
Consistency is so important to ensure that your support for the LGBTQ+ community is not seen as being disingenuous. How can you incorporate actionable support within your work calendars? Are your policies consistent with your company values and inclusive to the LGTBQ+ community? Another element of this is apologizing and recognising mistakes and showing how you are learning from them.
Back up your statements and hold others accountable
Even if you are a newly founded business or a small local business, you can still use your voice and platform to reassure the community that they are accepted by your business and to hold others accountable. Don’t stay silent on political and social issues in your local community and nationally as words and actions speak volumes. Also, consider your business connections, do your business partners, contractors, and stakeholders align with your company values, promoting diversity and inclusivity?
We all can take action to increase our support for the LGBTQ+ community, making measurable actions that highlight the issues they face and engaging in the fight for change.