At Stryker, we are proud of our inclusive environment and welcoming culture.
June is Pride Month, a month designated to commemorate the impression LBGTQIA+ people have made around the world. We encourage you to celebrate and learn about your lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning colleagues, starting with the ways listed below.
Here are 8 ways to celebrate Pride Month at work
1. Establish yourself as an ally
Making sure you are an ally to your loved ones and colleagues is the first step to making them feel included and welcomed in any environment, work-related or not. It is important to be genuine and open-minded when speaking to someone about his or her experiences. Consider creating a safe zone program, like Stryker’s Allies for Equality employee resource group, to help your office be open and welcoming to diversity and inclusion.
2. Attend a Pride parade and invite others to do the same
Most major cities host an LGBTQIA+ parade during the month of June. Utilize social media, word of mouth, local news, and equality campaign webpages to find a Pride parade in your area. Stryker participates in many Pride parades around the globe, including parades in Michigan, California, New Jersey, and Canada.
3. Throw a Pride party
A Pride party is simple to plan—rainbow decor is easy to find and music by LBGTQIA+ artists is plentiful. Pitch in for a rainbow layered cake in the office or help to bake one! You could also create educational signage that offers information about LBGTQIA+ nonprofits and Pride Month history to post on your company’s walls.
4. Dedicate a team to help raise funds for a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ organization
If you or one of your colleagues is skilled at organization, willing to advocate for a nonprofit, and open to collecting money, then he or she should create a team to raise funds. There are plenty of LBGTQIA+ charities to choose from, all with different day-to-day activities but one common, unified goal.
5. Organize a day designated for rainbow-clad and inclusive outfits
Encourage your coworkers to dress in colorful clothing during the whole month of June or make one day specific to rainbow-colored clothing. Your company could even go so far as to design a T-shirt exhibiting LBGTQIA+ inclusivity and designate a day to wear them.
6. Organize a book club and read about LGBTQIA+ history
Take charge of your company’s LBGTQIA+ education and organize a book club (which could even be through e-mail!). A great place to start would be to read a book about The Stonewall Riots and why June was chosen to be Pride Month.
7. Invite external consultants or an LBGTQIA+ organization to conduct a diversity awareness training session in-house
By inviting external consultants or an established organization to conduct diversity awareness training, a company is showing its employees how important diversity and inclusion is to its mission. This is the best way to get all employees educated and feel included.
8. Evaluate your company’s policies and standards
Could your company do a better job at being inclusive when it comes to policies, standards, or even bathroom regulations? Everyone experiences unconscious biases, but these can be addressed through an effort to prioritize inclusiveness. Once a diversity and inclusion awareness session is held, identifying areas of weakness around the office and throughout the company may be easier, and your colleagues may feel even more inspired to do the same.