Our employees, everyone from our recruiters to our CTO, let everyone they encountered know we were a company that supported the LGBTQ community and that we valued inclusivity. It might not sound like much, but as a tech company that very regularly sent many of its employees to domestic and international events - not to mention all of the time we spent in front of customers - those stickers said a lot.
One of those ideas was stickers, and they were designed and ordered in a matter of two days. Our coworkers didn’t just ask “Where can we help?” they actually came to us with ideas. When my colleague and I got the all-clear to begin planning our company’s Pride event, we were overwhelmed by the amount of support we received from others in our company. And whatever the items, your company’s Pride swag only helps to increase awareness and further advance the LGBTQ cause. What we wear can say a lot about who we are, the type of person we might be. You might also consider organizing a company-wide fundraiser to make a larger monetary donation at the end of Pride Month 2. However, there are likely a number of ways in which you can volunteer your time in a remote capacity (and that doesn’t have to be strictly during the month of June). Updated suggestion: Volunteering in-person may not be possible in your area presently and for some time to come.
And if you or your coworkers have web development, design, writing, or marketing skills, your help could directly contribute to the growth of a local center. Lending your support to special programs and events can make a world of difference to the lives of LGBTQ youth and people without permanent housing who depend on these centers. While these often underfunded centers will always appreciate a donation, supporting them can also mean volunteering your time and skills. You probably already know about the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, but did you know there are many smaller, local LGBTQ community centers and foundations across the country that are always looking for support? (Use this locator to find centers near you.) 6 ways to celebrate Pride Month at work 1. For this reason, I’ve made updates to some of the suggestions shared below which take into account the remote-first approach to work adopted by many companies. Update: This post was originally published before the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we live, work, and interact with one another.
So, if you’re looking for meaningful ways to help your company celebrate this month, here is a handful of ideas you can definitely pull together in the next couple of weeks. There’s more than one way to celebrate any occasion, and Pride is certainly no exception. What we cared about most was celebrating Pride, however we could, and we wanted to celebrate alongside the people with whom we spent almost every day - our coworkers. My colleague didn’t come to me with a plan, and neither of us had any idea of what we’d be able to pull off given the short window of time we had. A coworker I regularly grabbed a coffee with had approached me asking me to help him plan something to help our company celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride. You can find us on Twitter at few years ago now, I was at a different startup, one quite a bit larger than Range is now. We’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts. Last week we wrote about building an inclusive work environment by holding space. In honor of Pride Month, Range is sharing a few posts on building inclusion at work. Don't miss our 2020 Pride stories about empathy and inclusion from the Range team.