Is It Difficult To Be An Ally: How Can Workplaces Help?
Culture
The PRIDE month has just ended in June, and the entire
global landscape is left buzzing with campaigns and programs that workplaces
have initiated to support the PRIDE sentiment. I strongly feel that these
initiatives and the buzz about PRIDE should not be short-lived for just the
month that celebrates it. It needs to be an ongoing effort and collaboration
that should continue around the year and for years to come. That’s when we can
proudly say that we are being truly inclusive in nature.
How best can we do this? By being an Ally. An
‘ally’ in LGBTQIA community is referred to someone who supports the community
by being there for the people of the community. An ally makes tangible effort
through continuous actions to bring in respect to the community. For a fact,
allies are the most emphatic and powerful voices of the LGBT movement. Allies
are supportive and make it easier for people to be comfortable to reveal
themselves; they also help others understand the importance of respect for each
other, equality, and acceptance.
Of late we see more individuals being vocal about their
support by calling themselves an ally. But is that enough? Here’s how to be an
action-driven ally and here’s how organizations can help highlight the allies
at work.
Be aware: As an ally, be informed and aware. Actively
educate yourself. Discuss and learn with like- minded people, ask questions
that will help to clear your doubts. Read extensively through books, articles,
etc. about the history and current issues faced by the LGBTQIA Community to
hear their side of the story! A leading digital transformation company launched
‘Take the Leap’ sessions for its employees to help raise awareness. These
sessions invite DEI champions from across the industry to speak about their
insights, challenges, and experiences for employees to become knowledgeable and
show support.
A recent partnership with the PRIDE Circle, has helped this
Fintech show its continued commitment towards building a LGBT+ inclusive
workplace. Employees of the organization were encouraged to participate in
Pride Circle’s unique campaign the #AllyChallenge. Built as a series of 14
micro challenges/actions/activities, this initiative was aimed at educating and
sensitizing all participants towards the LGBT+ community and building a global
group of passionate allies. Given the COVID-19 work settings, the challenge was
completely virtual and leveraged gamification and recognition to drive
increased engagement.
Provide a platform: As an ally, listen to what the
people who identify themselves as part of the LGBTQIA community are saying – in
person, on social media, in videos or in the articles you read. Keep your
biases and prejudices aside and hear them out – their opinions their
perspectives. Don’t hold back from showing your thoughtfulness. When you
receive an invitation to an event for the LGBTQIA Community, you can simply be
there to listen, learn and show your support! Organizations can set up forums
or employee resource groups for employees to openly discuss about diversity and
inclusion at work. Allies can participate and chair the forum as this should
not be HR’s responsibilities. Organizations, therefore, should look to
alleviate the role of allies.
Another way for an organization to show their commitment is
to partner with local organizations such as PRIDE Circle, Campus Pride and
Professional Diversity Network (PDN), which support the cause. Employees can be
encouraged to subscribe to e-mail lists, follow these organizations on social
media and participate in their campaigns to express support – not just once but
on an ongoing basis.
Use the right pronouns. The times are changing and so
should the way we address our colleagues in our teams. It will be wrong to
address a group of individuals having men and women as “Hi guys” which not everyone
will appreciate it. Moreover, the group may have men who do not identify
themselves as men. As an ally, one should use the right pronouns when
addressing others. By doing so, we are setting the right tone and creating an
inclusive environment. As an organization, team leaders should appreciate their
team members to use appropriate pronouns while addressing meetings or
discussion groups. Ideally, employees should also mark the appropriate pronouns
on their social and professional profiles.
Being an ally is an ongoing journey and trying to be one is
only the beginning. As organizations there is a lot of ground to cover. As
individuals, every small step counts.
