Accelerating Acceptance

5 Ways to Examine LGBTQ+ Intersectionality in the Workplace.

Every year in June, businesses celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, showcasing the contributions of LGBTQ+ employees, raising awareness of issues in the community, and providing resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). By celebrating the occasion, you can recognize your LGBTQ+ employees and encourage them to continue their education and allyship.

This Pride Month, examine your business for inclusive and equitable policies, practices, products, services, and communications. Here is a checklist for your analysis:

• Do you follow laws that protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination?
• Does your organization have policies prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals?
• Are you using inclusive language in your internal and external communications?
• What role does intersectionality play in your commitment to LGBTQ+ issues?
• Are employees able to self-identify as LGBTQ+, select non-binary pronouns and salutations, and list preferred names on your HR or employee-facing software?

During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge, respect, and celebrate LGBTQ+ people, but it is also important to ensure policies, practices, products, and services include and accommodate intersectional realities. It’s a great time to discuss these feelings with experts and seek guidance if analyzing your business this way seems unfamiliar, overwhelming, or uncomfortable.

“During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge, respect, and celebrate LGBTQ+ people, but it is also important to ensure policies, practices, products, and services include and accommodate intersectional realities.”

Kal Gajraj

This Pride Month, we should celebrate data-driven initiatives that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ people throughout the year. By using this analysis, managers, supervisors, and practitioners can ensure that LGBTQ+ employees are embraced, and they can improve diversity & inclusion, hiring, retention, perks, and benefits for LGBTQ+ workers.

Kal Gajraj is a Miami/Fort Lauderdale-based communications and brand strategist. He has two decades of marketing and public relations experience, including B2C and B2B focuses. He is a certified diversity professional and human rights consultant with the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights aiming to help organizations and people leaders towards communicating inclusively and accelerating acceptance. Kal is also an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College’s School of Global Business.