Taking pride in Pride

The month of June used to pass by almost without notice. Now June is heralded by a wave of rainbow coloured company logos arriving on social media, to mark the start of Pride Month.

Rainbow corporate logos may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but the concept of Pride dates back much further than this. Pride Month began following the Stonewall riots in 1969, and is intended to celebrate and commemorate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride.

Of course, changing your logo to a spectrum of colours is meaningless in isolation if it’s not supported by a company ethos and culture which ensures that your place of work is truly welcoming, to absolutely everyone. And it’s this which is why I believe Pride Month is so vital, to challenging the everyday occurrences of discrimination which still take place, and to celebrate all of our differences and how these contribute to a truly diverse place of work.

Pride Month is not without its critics. I’ve heard more than one commentator refer to it as virtue-signalling on the part of organisations who choose to take part. And while yes, if all you’re doing is updating your logo, then that’s likely true… I’ve seen firsthand the very real and meaningful differences organisations truly embracing the principles behind Pride can make to employees who identify as LGBTQ.

I can cite multiple examples of both candidates and employees who have told me, without prompting, that the reason they applied to work for the organisation in question is because they saw that organisation promoting Pride and celebrating the diversity of their employee community. I know personally of two employees who came out for the first time at work, rather than to their family and friends, because they felt so much part of a culture that was inclusive and welcoming to all, where they knew that they would never be judged for being who they are.

I am ever conscious of the role that I and business leaders everywhere have a responsibility to play in this, and I am incredibly proud of the inclusivity of the culture that we have here at Saltus: something that we will protect at all costs. With the cultures and the behaviours that we nurture – and, just importantly, those we stamp down on, too – we have the opportunity to genuinely change lives for the better. Far from virtue-signalling, Pride is an opportunity for all of us to do more, and to stand up as allies with the LGBTQ community.

It is a sad indictment of our society that Pride Month is still so very much needed. Everyday discrimination, bullying and harassment remains commonplace. Organisations have a significant part to play in eradicating that, by means of education, support frameworks, and the living and breathing of cultures that celebrate the fact that, regardless of your sexuality: love is love.