This Pride Month, Companies Must Decide: Are They Truly Committed?

It’s almost Pride Month–and it’s shaping up to be a high-stakes one for U.S. companies.  

Last year, corporate LGBTQ+ initiatives came under fire around Pride Month. Bud Light’s partnership with a transgender influencer sparked a boycott, and the company’s response drew further criticism from LGBTQ+ supporters. Target released Pride Month merchandise and, following backlash, removed some of those items from stores. This year, the company has already announced that it will scale back its Pride merchandise plans.  

Not to mention, this year’s Pride Month follows months of heightened backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.  

But in the face of these external pressures, that’s where “the rubber meets the road,” says Paul Wolfe, a human resources expert and former HR executive who most recently worked at Indeed, where he worked hand-in-hand with employee resource groups. “Are you in it because it’s the right thing to do? Or are you in it because you think your employees want it, or your consumers?”  

So far, it seems many companies are still planning to support Pride Month this year, GLAAD president and chief executive Sarah Kate Ellis told the New York Times in a statement.  

Here are three of Wolfe’s top tips for companies that want to make an impact with their 2024 Pride Month celebrations:  

Go to the source.  

If you want to figure out what ways of honoring Pride Month would mean the most to your employees, “go to the source,” Wolfe says, and ask employees directly. “It may just be a happy hour on a Thursday afternoon. Maybe it’s getting a day off to celebrate in their local city in the Pride parade,” he says.

Chances are, Wolfe says, employees will be happy to share what matters most to them.  

Focus on education, not just entertainment.  

As a corporate HR leader, Wolfe always wanted to ensure that company events had an educational component. For Pride Month, for instance, that could mean asking a DJ to come in to play a Pride playlist and also explain how they selected those songs. “It’s always interesting to bring in folks that are going to entertain and educate,” Wolfe says.  

Remember: It’s not just one month.  

Sure, Pride Month is a dedicated time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, but business support shouldn’t be confined to these 30 days, Wolfe says: “Really think about how you can do this all the time and create an environment for your LGBTQ employees where they do feel comfortable, and they believe their voice is heard and they’re being seen every single day.”