The LGBTQIA+ community in the corporate world
June kicks off Pride Month, a time of year for celebrating the thriving and diverse LGBTQIA+ community. 🌈 But unfortunately, the workplace hasn’t historically created environments where LGBTQIA+ folks feel comfortable being themselves.
Let’s look at the recent findings from Deloitte’s Global 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work survey:
- 33% of all respondents are actively seeking a more LGBT+ inclusive employer.
- Less than 50% of those surveyed feel comfortable being out with all of their colleagues. Another 33% say they are only comfortable being out at work with a select group of colleagues.
- 61% of employees who are out about their sexual orientation to some colleagues say allyship helps. Nearly 70% who are out at work about their gender identity to some colleagues say allyship helps.
- 42% of LGBTQIA+ employees surveyed have experienced non-inclusive behaviors at work, with 50% feeling certain these behaviors were due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
From the Stonewall riots in New York City to annual Pride parades all over the world, the LGBTQIA+ community has had a long history of battles and triumphs. Pride Month is not only a celebration of self-expression and self-love, but it is also about championing equal rights for all, uplifting and supporting our loved ones, as well as an opportunity to create a safe space for all people — regardless of gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation.
For a virtual Pride parade of engaging team building activities, visit Confetti's Pride Month collection!
Here are 10 ideas to help you celebrate Pride Month at work:
1. LGBTQIA+ History & Culture Trivia 🧐
LGBTQIA+ History & Culture Trivia is a great, gamified way to learn about the diverse experiences and perspectives of the Queer community.
This fast-paced, fun competition game invites teams to test their knowledge. But your team will also walk away with a better understanding of the impact of LGBTQIA+ activists, pop culture, and more throughout history.
We encourage you to speak with your team after the event and see what they’ve learned, as well as their thoughts on promoting workplace diversity.
How to get started 👉 Perfect for teams big & small — book virtual LGBTQIA+ History & Culture Trivia today!
2. Exploring LGBTQIA+ Art 🖼
Check out this lecture-style tour to discover the hidden stories & unique backgrounds of LGBTQ artists throughout the world.
Your expert art guide will use vivid visuals and captivating storytelling to take you through the history of Queer art. You’ll journey through LGBTQ art’s progression throughout the 20th century, discovering everything from how art was censored to its liberation.
This is, hands down, one of the most popular Pride Month activities for work!
How to get started 👉 Encourage employees to start Exploring LGBTQIA+ Art here.
3. Understanding Pride Month 📚
In this engaging, interactive lecture-style class, you’ll learn the history behind Pride Month with a heavy emphasis on the New York City area – which some consider the birthplace of the LGBTQIA+ movement!
An educator will come with historical anecdotes from real LGBTQIA+ activists, immigrants, and more. Learn people’s stories and discover the secrets of LGBTQIA+ history, like the Stonewall uprising.
Oh — and, of course, there will be plenty of Q&A opportunities to help take your knowledge to the next level.
How to get started 👉 Book an Understanding Pride Month class for your team.
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4. Drag Queen Bingo 🪩
If pure celebration is more your team’s jam, look no further than Drag Queen Bingo.
A show-stopping drag performer will take your team through multiple rounds of bingo and give you a stellar drag performance. Plus, our queens are no strangers to comedy — they’re eager to make their audiences roar with laughter.
Drag has a compelling history in queer history; this experience is the ideal way to embrace a beloved art form important to the LGBTQIA+ community.
How to get started 👉 Book your virtual Drag Queen Bingo experience here —- and make sure you come with your applause ready.
5. Pride Pub 🎤
Do you want the best and biggest Pride Month experience for work? Well, honey, you’ve found it.
Pride Pub is a 2-hour extravaganza that lets your team curate their Pride celebration as they see fit. They’ll be able to hop in and out of breakout rooms containing different Pride events, like Pride Trivia and LGBTQIA+ Mini Games. If they don’t feel like playing, there’s a live musician and various breakout rooms dedicated to conversation!
How to get started 👉 Get the Pride Pub party started right here!
6. Hold sensitivity training to build stronger allies
Pride Month is the perfect time to bring in an expert who can train everyone in a code of conduct that better supports the office’s LGBTQIA+ community.
We all have our implicit biases, and we can’t address the barriers LGBTQIA+ individuals face if we don’t acknowledge them. It’s up to us to reach out to these resources and to experts to educate and enlighten us on how to be more mindful, inclusive and respectful. Organizations like The Safe Zone Project even offer free online training tools.
You can also check out the Human Rights Campaign's map that highlights the policies and laws in each state, so you can participate in conversations that help to have the ongoing LGBTQ issues platformed/heard.
Knowing these policies and laws will also help you spread awareness and advocate for your LGBTQIA+ coworkers.
7. Pride Month Reading Club
Honor Pride by organizing a Pride Month book club. An office book club gives employees a platform for open dialogue and education about LGBTQIA+ issues by exploring diverse narratives, understanding different identities, and gaining insights into the challenges faced by the Queer community. By engaging with literature written by Queer authors, participants can broaden their horizons and develop a deeper appreciation for the richness of LGBTQIA + culture.
Here are some popular books you could pick from:
- "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel
- "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker
- “Not All Boys Are Blue” by George M. Johnson
- "Queer: A Graphic History" by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele
- "Orlando: A Biography" by Virginia Woolf
- "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
8. Boom Box: Pride Edition
Get ready to groove and celebrate Pride Month with "Boom Box: Pride Edition" – the ultimate music quiz experience that pays homage to LGBTQIA+ artists and allies throughout history.
In this musical Pride playlist game, your group will embark on a musical journey led by our energetic quiz host. For five rounds, teams will put their knowledge of LGBTQIA+ music to the test, from iconic hits to hidden gems.
With categories ranging from "Genre's off" to "Name that tune" and "Identify that lyric," there's a place for everyone to shine and showcase their musical prowess.
How to get started 👉 Crank up the volume on the Boom Box: Pride Edition!
9. Adopt a cause
It doesn’t stop today or this month. Continue to get involved and donate. Below are some Pride Month resources you can look into as a team and as an organization set on being better allies:
- The Trevor Project. Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
- It Gets Better Project. Building a brighter and more hopeful future for LGBTQ+ youth.
- PFLAG. National organization for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies.
- Read: Online LGTBQ Youth Resources for Safety Tips and Support Groups
It’s important to step up and ensure the office is a safe environment for all employees, no matter their gender expression, identity or sexual orientation. These efforts go beyond making a company logo rainbow for a month and require direct, meaningful action with long-term impact.
Plan your Pride with Confetti 🌈
Let's celebrate Pride not only in June, but year-round to be sure that our workplaces are spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Together, we can create inclusive teams that champion equality and acceptance.
Ready to book the perfect Pride month event for your team? Contact [email protected] to get started!
