Doing better for the community – lessons from Pride Month 2022

Today marks the end of June and what in many parts of the world is celebrated as the Pride Month.

Ideally, this past month was a time to learn and recognize the historic and current struggles of the LGBT+ community and allies.

A time to find ways to end their current struggles and build on the work that is being done to create a safer, more just world.  

Sounds like a noble and reasonable idea. One that can be put into practice as more people get behind it.

That is how it should be, but it is easier said than done.

This is because on one hand we can see that in the last four weeks countless organizations and brands, in India and overseas, have been hoisting the ideas of equality and hope for the LGBT+ community.

But on the other hand, one can also see that countless members of the community are still denied access to one of their fundamental rights - to live with dignity, equality and without discrimination - enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and Articles 1 and 2 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is a paradox. Looking at the facts and figures behind it gives a clearer picture.

Take social media, for instance. For the past four weeks, Twitter and LinkedIn have been full of celebratory updates from companies and brands sharing rainbow colors or flags – the most commonly identifiable symbol for the LGBT+ community. As per official estimates, with each passing year, there is a definite increase in updates and posts with pride keywords like #proudtobelong, #prideatwork, #lgbtqiaplus and #lgbtqiarights. In June 2021, on LinkedIn, company updates with pride keywords went up by more than 100% as compared to the number of such posts in June 2020.

And these posts are not going unnoticed.

In fact, they generate record levels of organic engagement, something marketing and PR professionals dream of. In comparison to June 2020 in June 2021, on LinkedIn the engagement rate of Pride posts went up by a staggering 111%. Non sponsored posts registered an impressive 24% jump in their engagement levels, in this period.

One might wonder where all this online traffic is coming from. Is it only from the Western economies where the concept of Pride month began?

It is heartening to see that India Inc. is fast catching up with the world. In fact, in June 2021, India recorded the third highest engagement levels on Pride posts, after Brazil and the United States. 

So, what does this mean?

Today, social media is a reflection of public opinion. And from these figures, it sure seems like an increasing number of brands and organizations are becoming LGBT+ inclusive. People favor inclusivity.

However, in real life the situation is different.

What we see on social media is definitely encouraging. But many LGBT+ rights advocates label it as nothing more than Pink-washing and token inclusivity – where brands and organizations talk up their inclusion policies and practices simply to benefit from a massive global trend. In other words, there is little substance behind Pride updates and posts.  

This is the flip side of this paradox.

It may seem like India (and India Inc. in particular) is welcoming and accepting LGBT+ folks, but there is still a lot of ground to cover. This is validated on two factual grounds. 

First, from figures provided by socio-economic surveys like Randstad’s India Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Study, launched earlier this year. The results of this survey show the two sides of this paradox. Take for instance the fact that while 60% of the MNC Leaders in India Inc have LGBT+ inclusion goals, more than 70% of the respondents (which includes LGBT+ community members, DE&I leaders and policy makers) feel not much progress has been made to better LGBT+ inclusion.

Second, from stories of lived experience of the mistreatment faced by LGBT+ folks in workplaces and society in general. At work, this could involve bullying tactics like inappropriate questioning of their sexual orientation, intentional exclusion from meetings or social events, being denied valid opportunities for career growth and progression. 

In fact, it is unfortunate that the issue of mistreatment is more deeply entrenched in our social fabric. It came to the forefront earlier this year, when a young person (a teenager) from the Delhi-NCR region was bullied mercilessly in school and the school failed to provide appropriate and timely support which could have saved a young and promising life.

However, there are steps which can be taken to avoid such incidents. Experts suggest the following ways by which this can be achieved: 

• Prioritizing sensitization. Having targeted and well-planned awareness and sensitization initiatives and drives throughout the year (not just during Pride month). There are several examples of these like anti-bias and anti-discrimination workshops, movie screenings, QandA sessions with LGBT+ speakers, having visual reminders of LGBT+ inclusivity in the workplace, among others. Sensitization initiatives must also cover schools as young minds are impressionable and making them aware of their biases at an early age can certainly prevent discriminatory attitudes later in life. 
• Having clear, strong and enforceable policies at a workplace which encourage and support LGBT+ inclusion and discourages any discriminatory attitudes in hiring and career progression.
• Providing awareness and inclusion training to all staff and ensuring their adherence to it. Monitoring their adherence through self-reporting, periodic interviews and inspections.
• Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to discriminatory attitudes in daily work and in employees’ remuneration and benefits such as wellness leave and health insurance. 
• Training and encouraging senior management to lead by example in practicing inclusion goals. Paving the way for LGBT+ employees to be hired in leadership roles can also set a definitive, positive examples for other staff to see them in a positive and inclusive manner. 

It is important to remember that an inclusive workplace is not just well regarded by its employees and clients but also a high performing one - where people can be their authentic self without fear of discrimination is a safe place which excels in productivity and performance metrics.

In addition to the five points mentioned above, there are many more ways to foster a culture of respect and inclusion. Organizations like Godrej, Hindustan Lever, Myntra, Thought Works, Capgemini India and many others are at the forefront of LGBT+ inclusion in India.

And like every governance and developmental policy, LGBT+ inclusion also grows and evolves over time. What might be relevant today, might not stay relevant in the future.

This is why it is important to know the new research and ways by which LGBT+ inclusion can be improved. Here are two Indian organizations, working in this space which can help you, your team and organization with its inclusion goals:

·       Samāna Centre for Gender Policy and Law. Founded by Aparna Mittal, a lawyer with over 17 years of experience, the organization has already helped many public and private sector organizations to improve their diversity, inclusion and equity practices. Ms. Mittal, an open advocate for equality believes that better internal systems, governance and a top-down approach to inclusion is beneficial in creating a system in which everyone is heard and catered to, not just the majority.

·       Six degrees Growth Network. Supported by Atal Innovation Fund and UNDP, this is an innovative forum which creates a wide array of employment and engagement solutions for people of all abilities, ages, gender and sexual identity. They are partnered with several private firms and community organizations on diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives such as finding the right candidates and building programs along with best practice documents.  

 

To sum up, as Pride Month 2022 comes to an end, it is worth considering the lessons of this year and use them as opportunities to better our LGBT+ inclusion efforts for years to come. I hope reading this post has helped you realize the importance of meaningful inclusion and equity practices not just at work or during Pride Month, but in everyday life. 

 

Images sourced from LinkedIn.