Pride Month: More than rainbow and pink washing

Pride Parade (c) Unsplash

Pride Month June is here - and with it, time again for many companies to show their colors, declare their support for tolerance and diversity, and perhaps even color their logo with the Pride flag. At the same time, some communications departments are scratching their heads, perhaps even fearing the infamous 'shitstorm' if the campaign is not quite as authentic and is torn apart by the communities.

My clients have asked me about my opinion on Pride Month and whether they should 'do something'. Pride campaign, yes or no?

My advice: It is better to do something than to do nothing. However, it is not only recommended to communicate but also to follow up words with actions. Because if I spend all my DEI budget on the June communications campaign, there probably won't be much left to implement other, equally effective (maybe even more effective?) measures that enable a truly inclusive and tolerant organizational culture. And then I risk being labeled a pink-washing measure.

The same applies (as with the topic of avoiding greenwashing): You will be more authentic and credible if you openly communicate what is not yet going well, where you would like to improve (perhaps diversity at the top management level?). Be bold and stand by your development potential - that way your efforts will be more authentic.

Not sure what DEI actions you can implement? Here are a few good practice suggestions (also from my white paper):

Internal measures - employee-internally driven

• Employee networks for all specific communities (e.g. women, LGBTQ+, BPOCs, people with disabilities, and more).

• Unconscious Bias, or Anti-Microaggression Training and Awareness

• Team trainings / workshops

  Internal measures - executive driven

• Specific DEI position in the company

• DEI executive training / workshop

• Quotas

• Code of Conduct

• DEI Strategy / Policy / Roadmap

• Employee data collection (self labeling)

External measures - employee driven

• Community building / networks with external impact

External measures - employee-driven

• Marketing and employer branding campaigns

Pride month is a great opportunity to remind us of our privileges that other people had to fight hard for, still have to fight for, and stick to (for example, marriage for gay couples, or family planning, etc.).

In this sense - Happy Pride - Let's show our colors - also on the other 364 days of the year.

In my white paper, I distinguished between the following categories: Internal vs. External Impact, and Employee vs. Leadership Driven.

As is often the case, it's the mix that makes the difference. If you're doing a communications campaign in June to show internally and externally that you're a tolerant and inclusive employer that values all perspectives equally, also communicate a listing of your other actions that have been, or will be, implemented.

“It is better to do something than to do nothing at all.”