LGBTQ+ visibility in the workplace has become more common in recent years, yet LGBTQ+ employees still experience lower inclusion compared to their straight and cisgender counterparts. Active allyship can drive inclusivity for LGBTQ+ workers and strengthen connections between colleagues.
At Emergent, we’re committed to building a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. In honor of PRIDE month, we’ve gathered advice from Emergent team members on how to be an active ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
Be proactive about inclusion
It’s well known that diverse teams outperform less diverse teams. Surrounding yourself with people from different backgrounds and identities drives innovation and results.
Of course, building diverse teams is not enough – creating an environment where people feel encouraged and supported to be themselves is necessary to help everyone thrive.
“It’s very important to me that every one of my colleagues feels safe, supported, and encouraged to bring their whole, authentic selves to work. Not only because every individual deserves that opportunity, but because our teams are stronger and our work is better when diverse perspectives, ideas, and approaches are represented,” said Cassie France-Kelly, senior director, content and storytelling.
“Being an active LGBTQ+ ally is personal for me because my daughter and many other people I love are members of the community. But honestly, viewing the world through the lens of allyship just makes me a better parent, friend, colleague, leader – a better person – because empathy, respect, and integrity are at the core of being a good ally.”
Take action
Being an active ally is about turning intention into effective actions. Each of us can take small, but significant actions that demonstrate we care and are making an effort to support our colleagues.
Some important steps you can take to support your LGBTQ+ team members include:
- Using inclusive language: Integrate inclusive language best practices into your professional vocabulary, such as opting for gender-neutral language.
- Sharing your pronouns: Include your pronouns when introducing yourself to new team members, or add your pronouns to your email signature. If you have questions about pronouns, the Human Rights Campaign has a guide that walks through pronoun etiquette, and answers common questions.
- Speaking up: If you hear anti-LGBTQ+ comments of jokes, speak up and explain why such jokes or comments are harmful or offensive.
Be conscious of intersectionality
No identity exists on its own, including LGBTQ+ identities. Recognizing the way race, age, class, country-of-origin, and many other dimensions of identity shape the experiences of LGBTQ+ people is important.
“Your various forms of identity do not exist independently but cohesively” said Domonique Traylor, manager, contract operations and communications chair for BOLD (Black Originators, Leaders, and Doers), an employee resource group at Emergent. “For example, being a Black woman means that I’m not only affected by oppression of Black people but I’m also affected by oppression of women.”
“Bringing awareness to people’s overlapping identities can help bring more dynamic conversations to social equity work” she said. “It can help guide the conversations to recognize differences and experiences as valid.”
Model openness and authenticity
Creating a safe space for team members to share their authentic experiences can help all of us gain a greater understanding of one another and practice empathy.
“I live my life openly, being transparent and authentic in my words and my actions, and I want to help others find the confidence to do the same,” said Coleen Glessner, executive vice president, quality, ethics, and compliance.
“In my role as an executive leader, my role is to create an environment where colleagues can bring the fullness of who they are to the workplace and find acceptance here. As leaders, we demonstrate competence in our roles every day but truly exceptional leaders create a psychologically safe ecosystem built on humility, empathy, curiosity and trust.”
As more of us step up as active allies, more of our LGBTQ+ team members will feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work – and we all benefit from that.