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Pride month is not a marketing opportunity, it's about awareness and bringing change. Here are 5 mistakes corporates make during pride month.
Rainbow washing has been an issue that the LGBTQIA+ community has faced in their workplace. Here are 5 mistakes corporates make during Pride Month.
What Is Rainbow Washing?
The practice of when companies use rainbow colours on their brand logos, pride-related symbols and images on their products, and overnight turn their websites to display their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Sadly, every pride month, multiple companies and brands see the month as a box that needs to be ticked and get away by hosting the pride colours as a show of support without reflecting on why the pride month is celebrated and observed.
Pride Month is not just a marketing opportunity to capitalize on the rainbow flag and attract attention. It is not a chance to simply ride the wave of social acceptance without making meaningful changes.
So what are the mistakes corporates make during Pride Month?
Let’s address what Pride Month truly represents in detail, shall we?
Pride Month is not only about changing your logos or adding rainbow colours to your products. Superficial displays of support do not create real change or address the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Month is not about using LGBTQ+ individuals as props for your marketing campaigns. Token representation only perpetuates stereotypes and fails to address the systemic issues that LGBTQ+ individuals face.
Pride Month is not the only time to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. Equality and inclusivity should be embraced every day of the year. Make an ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive environment within your organization.
Pride Month is not a race for corporations to see who can generate the most attention or profit. It’s about recognizing the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and taking action to dismantle discrimination and prejudice.
Pride Month is not an opportunity to ignore the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Use this time to educate yourself, engage in meaningful conversations, and actively work towards dismantling discriminatory practices.
Instead of treating Pride Month as a marketing gimmick.
Let’s elaborate on the points further:
Listen to the LGBTQ+ community and understand their needs and concerns so that easier communication and understanding between management and employees.
Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights within your organization and in society, because when companies fight for the right of their employees, change can happen faster.
Implement policies that protect LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination. Discrimination only stops when strict policies and rules discourage intolerant practices by setting examples.
Support LGBTQ+ organizations financially and through partnerships. Collaborate with various NGOs or research institutions that work with the various branches of the LGBTQIA+ community to benefit from their learnings.
Foster an inclusive workplace culture where everyone feels safe and valued. Ideas are beautiful, it is execution of the thought and practising the ideas that bring change.
Make gender-neutral facilities available in your office spaces. Gender-neutral facilities are not limited to bathroom usage. From common rooms to the gym, gender plays an important role
Ensure the community is represented in your workforce, leadership, and boardroom. Until and unless we have visible changemakers in leadership roles, a community cannot be fully supported. Hence, support for representation with acceptance.
Let’s move beyond performative support and make real progress toward equality.
Together, we can create a world where everyone is celebrated and respected, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Recommended read
This article was first published on LinkedIn. We have republished the article with a few editorial changes, on Women’s Web, with permission from author Abhinav Shikhar.
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Do you have a workplace story as rainbow sheep? Let us know!
Image source: Via fezkes, Free and edited on CanvaPro
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