Clarity Recruiting’s Post

As we celebrate Pride Month, it’s essential to distinguish genuine allyship from mere rainbow washing. The conversation around ‘rainbow-washing’—where companies use Pride symbols without meaningful action—raises important questions about the intersection of commerce and social causes in the workplace. 🏳️🌈 Authentic Allyship: How do we distinguish between allyship and marketing tactics? It’s crucial for organizations to move beyond just changing logos and to actively contributing to LGBTQ+ causes and support their employees. ❌ Symbolic Gestures: Visible support, like rainbow displays, can bring joy and a sense of inclusion. However, we must consider the impact and intentions behind these gestures. Are they contributing to real change or just surface-level? 🤝 Genuine Support: Let’s remember the ongoing struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. True support extends beyond Pride Month and involves continuous efforts to promote equality and fight discrimination. 💼 Corporate Responsibility: Avoiding rainbow washing also means defending LGBTQ+ equality and financially supporting community non-profits. Let’s commit to real change and support for the LGBTQ+ community, not just during Pride Month, but all year round. Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce, dba The Gaymber “Inclusive Business is Good Business!” #PrideMonth #LGBTQSupport #AuthenticAllyship #DiversityAndInclusion

Did you know that there's more than one pride flag? While we're all familiar with the classic rainbow flag, there's also a Progress Pride Flag that represents inclusivity and forward movement within the LGBTQ community. The original Pride Flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 as a symbol of unity and pride during the fight for equal rights. It's amazing to see how far we've come since then, but the battle for equality is far from over. The Progress Pride Flag - the reimagined version of the traditional Pride Flag - includes black, brown, blue, pink, and white stripes on top of the rainbow colors. It represents unity and inclusion for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. So, what do the colors symbolize? The six rainbow colors altogether symbolize hope, but each color has its own meaning: Red: Life, as well as a Cure for Aids Orange: Healing Yellow: Sunlight Green: Nature Blue: Peace or serenity Purple: Spirit Black and Brown represent marginalized communities. Blue, pink, and white stripes represent transsexuality, with light blue and pink for the traditional baby colors for girls and boys and white for intersex, transitioning, neutral or undefined gender. The black stripe represents those lost during the AIDS crisis. Here's to continuing to celebrate diversity and progress this #PrideMonth.

"Black women are not here to be silent in the face of microaggressions. We stand tall, speak up, and demand the respect and equality for all.” The National African American Women's Leadership Institute supports all women, regardless of their sexual orientation or preference.” Here are a few ways to support 🏳️🌈Pride Month: 1. Educate yourself: Take the time to learn about the history of the LGBTQ+ community and the struggles they have faced. Understanding their experiences can help you become a better ally. 2. Attend Pride events: Show your support by attending Pride parades, festivals, and other events in your community. This can help create visibility and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community. 3. Advocate for LGBTQ+ rights: Support legislation and policies that promote equality and protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Speak out against discrimination and work towards creating a more inclusive society. 4. Donate to LGBTQ+ organizations: Consider donating to organizations that support LGBTQ+ rights and provide resources and services to the community. Your contribution can make a difference in advancing equality. 5. Amplify LGBTQ+ voices: Use your platform to amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals and share their stories. Listen to their experiences, uplift their perspectives, and advocate for their representation in all spaces. 6. Show support in your daily life: Be an ally in your everyday interactions by standing up against homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination. Create a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ individuals in your personal and professional circles. #HappyPrideMonth 🏳️🌈

💔🌈As of June this year, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in US legislatures, making it one of the most challenging years for the community. Recognizing this, Arcadis stands with The Human Rights Campaign (HRC). We have signed its #CountUsIn pledge to send a resounding message of support to our LGBTQ+ community members. But our commitment doesn’t stop there. Within our organization, we’re tirelessly working hard toward meaningful outcomes in #diversity, #equity, #inclusion and #belonging with an aim to create a lasting impact. 💪 Learn more about the pledge here: https://okt.to/lrP0OB #Allyship #ImprovingQualityofLife

Every June, cities and communities across the globe come alive with vibrant colors and celebrations in honor of Pride Month. This annual event commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Pride Month is more than just a celebration; it’s a powerful reminder of the progress made and the work still needed to achieve full equality. The parades, festivals, and events provide a platform for visibility and acceptance, inviting everyone to join in the celebration of diversity and the fight for equal rights. Yet, Pride Month is also a time for reflection. While we celebrate the strides made toward inclusivity, we must acknowledge the challenges that persist. Discrimination, prejudice, and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals remain significant issues. Pride Month offers an opportunity for allies to educate themselves, advocate for change, and support the LGBTQ+ community in meaningful ways. By participating in Pride events, sharing stories, and fostering open conversations, we can all contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society. Incorporating Pride into our daily lives goes beyond the festivities of June. It involves continuous support for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition of the community’s contributions. From workplace policies that ensure equality to educational programs that promote understanding, there are countless ways to make a positive impact. Let’s use the energy and spirit of Pride Month to fuel year-round efforts toward a more just and equitable world for everyone.

June is PRIDE month 🏳️🌈- Tips from the LGBT Speakers Agency on how to stand with Pride Month.- 1. Organize a charity fundraiser. One of the best ways to celebrate and support the Pride initiative is to take action that makes a genuine impact. Flying a rainbow flag takes a public stance, but if not followed by action it could be considered performative. Giving time through group volunteering opportunities and CSR initiatives at meetings can also make an impact. 2. Book an LGBTQ+ speaker. Their stories will empower and educate attendees. Take boxing promoter turned transgender champion Kellie Maloney, for example—one of the bureau’s most popular speakers. Her speeches reveal the hardships she faced while coming out as a transgender woman and the importance of inclusivity. 3. Offer an Inclusion Workshop. These hands-on training sessions teach attendees how to facilitate LGBTQ+ equality. 4. Evaluate your company’s discrimination and diversity policies. People from different backgrounds are often at a higher risk of discriminatory behavior, whether intentional or not. Due to this, companies must have an efficient and strict discrimination policy in place to protect LGBTQ+ staff, as well as meeting and event attendees. 5. Take a stand in your personal work space. Hanging rainbow flags and banners not only celebrates Pride Month, but it also takes a stand for equality that makes your LGBTQ+ colleagues feel represented.

The Journey Begins Within The path to authentic LGBTQ+ inclusion starts from within. It begins with listening and learning. Provide training to help employees at all levels understand the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. Ensure your policies and benefits packages support gender affirmation, same-sex partners, and chosen families. Audit everything through an LGBTQ+ lens. Most importantly, foster open dialogues where queer voices are heard, challenges are discussed, and your organisation evolves to meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. The goal is ongoing growth, not a finite destination. As you do this internal work, join Pride in the City - a business-focused initiative from Pride in London. This membership allows you to actively support and engage with the LGBTQ+ community all year-round. It's a community of like-minded businesses dedicated to championing LGBTQ+ inclusion. External efforts like sponsoring or participating in Pride events then become authentic extensions of the work you're already doing inside your four walls. You participate not through obligation but because LGBTQ+ inclusion lives and breathes within your corporate DNA. Pride in the City strengthens this commitment. It provides valuable networking, learning opportunities, recruiting access and a chance to directly impact LGBTQ+ causes. The path towards true belonging for the LGBTQ+ community is worthwhile! 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 Find out more:https://lnkd.in/exNkZB4C

🌈 Edinburgh Pride 2024 🌈 It was inspiring to see strong march messages for LGBTQ+ social equality at Edinburgh Pride. Pride was founded as a solidarity protest against systemic oppression. This mission remains critical today. In the UK in 2024: - Hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals have risen. - Anti-trans rhetoric is commonplace. - Mental ill health within the community is double the national average. - Support for LGBTQ+ abuse victims is woeful. Globally, 'conversion practices' persist, and in some countries, being LGBTQ+ is still punishable by death. Solidarity in celebrating identity and fostering community representation is vital for acceptance. But critically we must also remember Pride's roots and its modern imperative. We need defiance alongside celebration and protest alongside parade. Pride began as a bold stand against oppression and right to exist, and this spirit of resistance needs to be at the forefront. Meaningful allyship requires addressing serious equality issues during Pride Month and year-round. We must: - Stand against rising hate crimes. - Counter anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. - Support inclusive health initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community. - Advocate for comprehensive support for LGBTQ+ abuse victims. - Challenge draconian global laws and practices. As we navigate 2024 and beyond, the need for protest and advocacy remains urgent. LGBTQ+ individuals face increasing hostility and inadequate support systems, while globally, oppressive laws threaten their very life. Let’s ensure Pride Month reflects both celebration and activism. By remembering its roots and recognising the ongoing serious issues, we can better drive changes in social equality. Pride is not a party; it’s a powerful movement for change. Rights are easier lost than won. Celebration and Defiance, Parade and Protest—this is the essence of Pride.

On Tuesday, 18th June, we hosted an insightful panel discussion on the topic of Why Pride Matters. By looking at the conversation from the perspective of young people, we connected to the wider issues encountered by the LGBTQ+ community.   We welcomed Rachael Baker from The Proud Trust and Nikki Varley from Wigan Youth Zone to share insights about how they are supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Stuart Mather and Gabrielle Turton-McBride from Calisen joined them to bring their own lived experience to the discussion, and we were humbled by their honesty and courage in speaking up. Here are some reflections: Whilst much progress has been made, Pride Month is still needed, particularly in the face of anti-Trans and non-binary movements dominating politics in both the UK, US and Europe. Pride Month creates a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to unite and feel supported.   The support of adults is critical for LGBTQ+ young people, whether from schools, family or friends. Young people can find themselves trapped in negative emotions such as shame and fear; reassurance from trusted adults is therefore vital. Adults can help young people navigate these complex thoughts and feelings by being open and non-judgmental.    We concluded that demonstrating active allyship is the key to building a workplace culture that supports and embraces difference. From small acts like wearing Pride lanyards and sharing pronouns to creating policies that acknowledge different family structures, these are all ways that can make a difference to colleagues. Quote from our Group CEO, Sean Latus: “I’m really appreciative of the team coming together to organise such a great event. It’s so important that everyone feels able to be themselves at work and that Calisen is a safe environment for all of us, free of discrimination".   #PrideMonth #EDI #Inclusion

Lesbian Visibility Week is almost half way through and I wanted to share with my network some facts about it. Lesbian Visibility Week is an annual observance dedicated to increasing awareness of lesbian women and their issues.  The week aims to address the visibility challenges faced by lesbians compared to other members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s also a celebration of empowerment for the lesbian community. Here are some facts and figures: Approximately 20% of lesbian women reported experiencing discrimination at work within the past 12 months. Workplace discrimination can impact job satisfaction, career advancement, and overall well-being. Furthermore, around 21% of lesbian women are rarely open about being LGBTQ+ at their workplace. This suggests that there is still progress to be made in creating inclusive and accepting work environments. Research was conducted by Stonewall and DIVA Magazine. It’s essential to continue advocating for equal rights, visibility, and acceptance for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. 🌈💙 Daniel Dunford Neil Soffe Andrew Clarke Martin Pardey Gabriel Alves Saysell Joshua Boyland-King