The acceptance and celebrations around the Pride month are no less than magic. All of us feel so proud to acknowledge, connect and appreciate the diversity. I agree that a conscious celebration helps improve awareness and motivate others to join this inspiring journey. However, considering the coverage and data, shouldn't we be thinking beyond June? 

Celebrations suffice the social need, but it is evident that we are not there yet! We have not even achieved the threshold defined and projected by organizations at large.

I don't wish to generalize or suggest that people are not investing consciously in this theme. It is important to highlight however that most of us are still in the ‘Intent’ phase than‘Implement’. Organizations talk about future skills and building a daily learning environment to fuel growth. Such projects should be planned and implemented around D&I. Policies should be put in place that focus on the individual's capability instead of their gender, background, and societal norms among other things. 

Important Statistics

Zippa research pertaining to LGBTQ+ Workplace discrimination statistics 2022 throws up some interesting insights:

1. 10% of LGBTQ+ employees have left a job because the work environment did not accept them

2. 46% of LGBTQ+ workers have experienced unfair treatment at work at one point in their lives

3. 47% of workers have experienced an adverse job outcome because they are transgender

4. 25% of LGBTQ+ employees report staying in a job due to an LGBTQ+-inclusive work environment

5. 22% of LGBTQ+ workers are not paid or promoted at the same rate as their colleagues

6. 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ people report removing items from their resume to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) from employers

7. 31% of LGBTQ+ workers say they have felt unhappy or depressed at work

8. 36% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced harassment or discrimination in the workplace, making it the second most common space where LGBTQ+ people experience discrimination, behind public spaces (51%)

The numbers are alarming, and the situation has not changed significantly over the years. While awareness and acceptance have gone up, the impact on actual numbers as compared to projected intent and targeted outcome is still meagre.

The good news is that people are ready to invest and add more color to their rainbows. Why stick with VIBGYOR when an infinite variety of hues make the rainbow more diverse and colorful? 

To make workplaces more vibrant, each organization will have to take Pride in formulating initiatives around uniqueness created by people so that people feel Pride in being associated with such organizations and can call that place ‘My Place’ with PRIDE. 

With PRIDE culture, the intent and approach should be Purposeful, Rightful, Involved, Diverseand Equitable. Let me explain each point within the PRIDE acronym in greater depth.

Purposeful

Trend, need, strategy, or culture? The ‘Why’ has to be defined as intent towards the initiative. This is essential. ‘We want to do it’, or better still, ‘We will do it’ is more impactful than ‘We wish to do it’. Everybody else is talking about D&I and wishes to do something about it, but that shouldn't be the only driving factor for leaders to define their intentions and plans. Organizations would excel when they genuinely invest at the right time and for the right purpose.

Rightful

Intent and actions should be honest, appropriate, deserving, and fair. It should be legal and permitted to fit the genuine requirement and needs of all our unique individuals. Organizations and leaders should do what is right, and not what they feel is right or what might suit the organization and individuals. There should be forums where people are able to provide feedback and seek support when needed. Individuals should have the freedom to express themselves openly.

Involved

Is it merely a part of HR initiatives or owned collectively by everybody? Do we have enough ambassadors in the system to promote and talk about it? Do we train people well enough to stay neutral yet thoughtful towards our unique people? Does our plan cover inclusion in addition to collaboration? Leaders should take this up as any other value-adding project, with a plan that includes having the right people, policy, and process in place for a purposeful and positive culture.

Diverse

Most organizations plan to create a diverse workforce, but the percentage of LGBTQ+ in most organizations is significantly low. Building a culture that can be appreciated, understood, and lived by many will be difficult in the absence of a representative group that includes people with different orientations. As they say, unless you practice a skill, you don't master that skill. The place of work has to be as diverse as people that inhabit it.They should be flexible enough to adapt to a new need as and when needed.

Equitable

Treating everybody equally differs from enabling everybody to get a fair chance and opportunity to express, participate and excel. We can't make our processes and policies generic when there are so many unique people with different orientation. An extraordinary attempt is required to create a culture that focuses on working with unique individuals, and supporting them to reach a level where they can walk shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues and perform at peak potential. 

The benchmark of becoming a more diverse workplace is identified and worked upon well. However, organizations need to increase focus on creating a more inclusive workplace. Fortunately, people around the world are now speaking openly about the pertinent issues and needs. Organizations may want to seize this opportunity to define a meaningful path towards the intended goal, via greater awareness and ownership among all stakeholders. Unity in diversity per se may not be enough. Inclusion will help organizations perform better and create a place for everyone.

It is essential to maintain consistency to attain a sustainable system. As it’s aptly said by Mike Murdock, ‘What you do daily determines what you become permanently’. Doing the right thing on a particular day is good. However, to reach greatness and sustain at that level, we need to repeat those behaviors on a daily basis, day after day. A daily routine is a better option than a festive event.

A culture that focuses on capability instead of gender, will always grow exponentially through people and their unique abilities.