LGBTQ+ Awareness and Support Training

Hopefully this isn't brand new information to you, but trans people are under attack. If you're celebrating Pride, you need to be doing something to actually care for and protect your trans employees. Many trans employees and employees with trans family members are navigating fear, legal uncertainty, and real safety concerns, on top of doing their jobs. You don’t need a perfect and thorough plan to help. But you do need to act. 〰 Check in, and mean it. Train managers on how to check in with care. Don’t assume. Don’t stay silent. Acknowledge what’s happening and let people know what support is available. 〰 Provide real resources. Give LGBTQIA+ ERGs access to legal and safety planning tools. Share guides from orgs like Trans Lifeline and Transgender Law Center. Consider offering legal consults or stipends. 〰 Support mental health. Highlight providers with LGBTQIA+ expertise. I love Therify for connecting employees with mental health providers who reflect their identities. Make sure people know how to access EAPs, reimbursement, or stipends, and normalize using them. 〰 Offer flexible time off. People may need time for legal processes, safety planning, relocation, or medical care. Make sure policies are flexible and clearly communicated. 〰 Audit your policies. Update or create a gender transition and affirmation policy. Make sure systems respect people’s names and pronouns. Let employees opt out of travel to states with anti-trans laws. List explicit protections on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in your nondiscrimination policies. 〰 Review your healthcare coverage. Be sure you are actually covering gender-affirming care. Offer stipends or travel reimbursement for those in states where care is restricted. Cover queer family structures fully for fertility benefits, parental leave, and other family benefits. 〰 Don’t wait for someone to ask. Take initiative. The burden shouldn’t fall on trans employees to explain what they need just to feel safe at work. You don’t have to do everything. But you have to do something.

If you think sexuality has no place at work, this post is for you. It’s Pride Month, and I’ll be speaking with teams about LGBTQ inclusion. At almost every session, someone will ask some version of: “Why do we have to talk about this at work?” The simple answer is we already do. But let’s start with a few things that might’ve happened at work just yesterday: You’re waiting for a meeting to start. Someone asks, “How was your weekend?” You spent it with your partner’s family but not everyone on this call knows you’re gay, so you stay quiet. Your team is reviewing new benefits. The language only refers to heterosexual families, so you’re left unsure if fertility, bereavement, or parental leave policies even apply to you. Your team is heading to a conference. You’re the only one delayed at security because your legal ID doesn’t match your name or gender. These aren’t rare or extreme situations. They’re everyday experiences for LGBTQ people. And they’re exhausting. The constant calculation of what's safe to say, what's too much, what will be thought of as "unprofessional" takes up valuable energy. It limits our ability to connect and trust our teams. It impacts our well-being and our ability to perform. So, why do we have to talk about sexuality at work? Because we already are. Every time we talk about families, benefits, weekends, travel, we’re talking about it. During Pride Month, we’re not introducing something new. We’re just making visible the experiences of LGBTQ team members and the extra burdens we may carry. We’re highlighting the assumptions we make and who we leave out when we make them. This isn't about special treatment. This isn't about "politics." This is about how we care for our people. This is about building strong, innovative, high-performing teams where everyone, including LGBTQ people, can thrive. Caring about your people is caring about your business. We want to bring our best to work but we can't do that if we're asked to leave the best parts of ourselves behind. Use this pride month to have these conversations. Review your policies. Host the trainings. Reinforce that everyone on your team will be treated with dignity and respect. Make it explicit. This doesn't have to be complicated but it is intentional. Your teams will thank you. And if you need support, DM me. I've got just a few open slots for pride this month.

🏳️🌈 What does effective allyship look like to you? 🏳️⚧️ As we continue to strive for inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, it's crucial to reflect on what it means to be an effective ally to our LGBTQ+ colleagues. Allyship isn't just about words, it's about action and genuine support. To me, effective allyship means actively listening to the experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ people, educating ourselves on their challenges and triumphs, and taking tangible steps to create a more inclusive environment. Here are some pieces of advice for professionals looking to be good allies to their LGBTQ+ co-workers: 📚 Educate Yourself Take the time to educate yourself on LGBTQ+ issues, terminology, and history. Resources such as articles, books, and workshops can provide valuable insights and help you better understand the experiences of your colleagues. 👂 Listen and Learn Create space for open and honest conversations with LGBTQ+ people. Listen to their perspectives, experiences, and needs without judgment. By actively listening, you can gain valuable insights into how to be a better ally. 🗣 Speak Up Use your privilege and voice to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Speak up against discrimination, microaggressions, and harmful stereotypes when you encounter them in the workplace. Your voice can make a difference in creating a more inclusive environment. 🙂 Respect Pronouns and Identities Respect people's pronouns and identities by using the correct names and pronouns they prefer. Avoid making assumptions about someone's gender identity or expression and always ask if you're unsure. 📢 Amplify LGBTQ+ Voices Take proactive steps to amplify the voices and achievements of LGBTQ+ people in your workplace. Recognise their contributions, advocate for their inclusion in decision-making processes, and support their career advancement. 🌈 Be an Active Ally Allyship is an ongoing commitment. Continuously educate yourself, challenge your own biases, and actively support LGBTQ+ initiatives both inside and outside the workplace. By embodying these principles of effective allyship, we can create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. 🏳️🌈 #Allyship #LGBTQ+ #DiversityandInclusion #WorkplaceEquality

How well does your organisation support the LGBTQI+ community? Shape Talent Ltd engaged Dr Ciarán McFadden-Young, Senior Lecturer and researcher on EDI at the University of Stirling, to author a white paper that examines the barriers to LGBTQI+ career progression. This is an adaptation of the research that we conducted into women's career progression, looking through a lens of gender identity and sexual orientation. Addressing systemic barriers is at the heart of our work. You can download our white paper to see the specific recommendations that we make on how organisations can cultivate inclusivity and address the barriers to LGBTQI+ people in the workplace. For those who are time poor, here are the 8 headline recommendations: 𝟏. 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. For example, do the childcare and parental leave policies assume a heterosexual employee? Does the workplace have gender-neutral bathrooms? Is a uniform required, and are there only gendered versions? 𝟐. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. Although there are social, cultural and historical reasons why lesbian women, gay men, bisexual people, trans people and queer people all form one distinct and recognisable collective group, different sub groups experience distinctly different barriers. 𝟑. 𝐄𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Organisations should have clear and well communicated anti-discrimination and harassment policies, provide anti-discrimination training, and engage in cultural audits to uncover any potential informal issues 𝟒. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰. This is particularly important for multinational organisations operating in very different regions with different legislative norms. 𝟓. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬. Training and development can be offered to help demystify common concerns, clarify the terminology used in discussions about LGBTQ+ identities, and in many cases offer a starting point for conversations on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. 𝟔. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧. A policy should, where possible, have input from those it seeks to protect or promote inclusion for. 𝟕. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬. While your organisation may have excellent inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, it’s important that your employees are made aware (and reminded) of them. 𝟖. 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞. In June of each year, more and more organisations are accused of ‘pink-washing’ or ‘rainbow-washing. It is a form of performative allyship. Ensure your work extends throughout the year and is meaningful. #WorldPride2024 #Pride2024 #ThreeBarriers https://lnkd.in/erD9a3Sy

How does your workplace enable trans and gender diverse folks to be themselves? Every trans person is different, they have their own priorities, comforts, trans experiences and pronouns. Some trans people want to be out, loud and proud - some don't. Some trans people have chosen names, some don't. Some are neurodivergent, some aren't. Then how can an organisation possibly create inclusion for such a diversity of experiences, wants and needs? Well there are some things we know help: 1. Provide opportunities for people to say their pronouns, chosen names and gender identities (where it's relevant) but never force them. 2. Provide inclusive signaling through name badges, flags, posters, pins - anything that suggests LGBTIQA+ people (and specifically trans folk) are welcome here. 3. Ensure policies and programs specifically call in gender diverse folks. 4. Use inclusive language. 5. Respect confidentiality and don't ask intrusive questions. 6. Provide training on trans and gender diverse inclusion for leaders and employees. What have I missed? There's no special formula that will ensure trans people will feel safe to bring their whole selves to your workplace and some people may just never want to. But we can enable inclusion by setting the ground work and then educating our people to do the rest. Oh and if you are trans or gender diverse, it is up to you who you tell and when. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's your journey, it's your information. #LGBTIQA+ #linkedintopvoices #workplaceinclusion

The first Pride was an absolute riot. No like ... literally. In June 1969, patrons of the Stonewall Inn rioted against harassment and police brutality. Black and brown, trans, queer, sex workers, and allies used their collective voice to protest the voice to protest the nightly raids, discriminatory arrests, and systemic violence that targeted their very existence. That spontaneous uprising ignited a movement. And here we are, 56 years later, with much of the same work ahead of us. As a CMO, talking about our brand's “values” without action is hollow. We are stewards of the brand. And what is brand but your values in action? CMOs are responsible for making sure our insides match our outsides; our internal policies must be in alignment with our external messaging. Without those two in harmony, you're building a brand that's pandering and performative. If you're a CMO or an executive looking for a roadmap to support your LGBTQIA+ employees, here are a few places to start: 1. Review Benefits & Policies: Make sure your health plan covers gender-affirming care—hormone therapy, surgeries, and mental‐health support. Offer parental leave and family-building benefits that recognize adoption, surrogacy, and chosen family structures. 2. Advocate Externally: Publicly back legislation that protects LGBTQIA+ rights—anti‐discrimination laws, marriage equality, and transgender healthcare access. Partner with established LGBTQIA+ organizations to amplify their advocacy and fundraising efforts. 3. Elevate LGBTQIA+ Voices Internally: Fund and empower your LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group—give them budget, executive sponsorship, and a seat at planning tables. Host educational sessions on pronoun usage, unconscious bias, and the history of Stonewall so every employee understands what Pride stands for. 4. Audit Your Hiring & Advancement Practices: Scan job descriptions for biased language; explicitly encourage LGBTQIA+ candidates to apply. Develop mentorship or sponsorship programs aimed at retaining and promoting LGBTQIA+ talent. Explore the diversity of your executive team. Does your team represent the demographics of the employee and customer populations you serve? 5. Sustain Support Beyond June Celebrate other important dates—Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), BIPOC Pride (July), Bi+ Awareness Week (September), World AIDS Day (December 1)—to show ongoing commitment. Regularly survey your LGBTQIA+ employees about belonging, psychological safety, and workplace improvements. Pride began as a riot because people refused to be erased. And here we are, holding positions of power and privledge, out here still refusing to be erased. How is your company putting Pride into practice—beyond June? I’d love to hear real actions (and hold each other accountable) to build truly inclusive, courageous organizations.

Curing the Pride Month Hangover 💊 The colorful celebration of Pride Month comes to an end, it's time for the HR and DEI departments to put their thinking caps on and ensure that the spirit of inclusivity continues to thrive throughout the year. So, grab your metaphorical hangover remedy and let's explore some steps you can take to cure the Pride Month hangover and infuse your company with long-lasting inclusivity. 🤝 🎯 Reflect on the Month's Success: Take a moment to reflect on the activities and initiatives that were implemented during Pride Month. Evaluate what worked well and what could be improved upon. Gather feedback from employees to understand their experiences and suggestions. This reflection will serve as a foundation for your ongoing efforts. 🎯 Review and Update Policies: Ensure that your company policies are aligned with LGBTQ+ inclusive practices. Evaluate existing policies and make necessary revisions to promote an inclusive and safe working environment for all employees. 🎯Provide Ongoing Education and Training: Knowledge is power, and fostering inclusivity requires continuous learning. Organize training sessions and workshops throughout the year to educate employees on LGBTQ+ terminology, pronoun usage, and creating an inclusive workplace culture. Inviting external experts or partnering with LGBTQIA+ organizations can bring valuable insights and resources. 🎯Partner with LGBTQIA+ Organizations: Collaborate with local LGBTQ+ organizations and charities to support their initiatives and engage your employees. Encourage volunteering, fundraising, or sponsorships to demonstrate your company's commitment to the community. 🎯Foster Inclusive Leadership: Inclusive leadership starts at the top. Encourage senior leaders and managers to participate in diversity and inclusion training programs. Promote inclusive leadership behaviors that value and respect all employees. Don't let the spirit of inclusivity wane as Pride Month fades into a sweet memory. Embrace the opportunity to cure the Pride Month hangover by implementing these steps. #pridemonth #outonlinkedin #inclusiveworkplace #diversityandinclusion