LGBTQ+ Rights Are Under Serious Threat. Here’s How To Be An Ally At Work.
Pride is meant to be a time for celebration, honoring the queer elders and activists who worked tirelessly so that we can march in the streets in rainbow leggings.
And while this Walmart t-shirt may seem a bit intense, the fact is that this year, Pride is more serious.
The backlash against LGBTQ+ people is real and dangerous.
Yes, the backlash against LGBTQ+ people IS real - it is not AI customizing your newsfeed. A quick pulse check:
Anti-LGBT+ mobilization increased by over four times from 2020 - 2021.
HRC issued a first-ever emergency declaration when more than 75 anti-LGTBQ+ bills became law this year.
Montana Republican leaders issued a 90-day gag order against Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state’s first openly transgender legislator, when she spoke out against efforts to criminalize gender-affirming healthcare.
A children’s show that explained blowfish can change gender was boycotted.
This is more than words: the backlash endangers health and safety
Target pulled Pride merchandise due to threats to employee safety.
54% of transgender or nonbinary youth reported seriously considering suicide in the last year - this rate has steadily increased for the past three years.
2022 was the most violent and deadliest year for the US LGBTQ+ community.
Hate crimes based on sexual orientation have doubled in the last four years in the UK.
Wondering Why We Are Here (Again)?
Wondering why, after five decades of progress toward equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals, we are moving backward?
Why now, when 70% of Americans support same-sex marriage?
It's really the same old story, but on steroids.
First: The Same Old Story
The illustration below, adapted from The Movement Lab to integrate insights from Berkley faculty members and Sociologists Lipset and Raab, tells a familiar story about how social change happens.
It is disheartening that the story begins again and again.
Now, the encouraging news: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” (Martin Luther King Jr.). In other words, the new normal is often better than the pre-crisis norms when we do the work to make it change.
Add Steroids
What IS new:
#1: We live in the most fearmongering period of human history (while the safest). Why?
Power + money + tech = easy access to 8Billion amygdalae (brain fear center).
These are scary times: We face the biggest challenges ever known to humans.
COVID has negatively impacted our tolerance for anxiety and uncertainty.
#2: The “arc of the moral universe” has created visible strides:
Rise in Fear + Rise in Progress = Rise in Backlash
The Cost
Most of us believe that we, and others, deserve a life free of fear and pain, a life of fulfillment. That alone is reason enough to break the momentum of this cycle, to fight for LGBTQ+ rights that are really just basic human rights.
In addition, we all pay a price when bias, fear, or hate go unchecked:
Economists estimate homophobia drags economies down by Billions.
Discrimination dampens innovation (we could use more of that right now).
Open your news app to see more consequences of unchecked bias, discrimination, fear, or hatred.
Now What?
The arc of the moral universe lives on through our actions.
HBR spent four years listening to LGBTQ+ individuals about what makes a good workplace ally. The thousands of interviews pointed to three components of being a good ally, which we can use to inform our actions, big and small.
Being accepting (Making people feel safe and supported)
Taking action (Advocating, raising awareness, defending rights)
Having humility (Being a good listener, being open to feedback, seeking opportunities to learn)
Stonewall.org offers concrete examples of how to put these three qualities into action:
Learn: about the differences between gender, sex, and sexuality/sexual orientation.
Cultivate Acceptance: Think about your own gender story. What are the messages you received about your gender, and how has that affected your life? Knowing our own gender story can help us cultivate empathy for others.
Advocate: Understand the ways you’re privileged and marginalized. And then take action to integrate LGBTQ+ rights into day-to-day work.
Use pronouns in a way that makes a difference.
Gently correct someone if they misgender a coworker by privately letting them know the pronouns/gender identity that the coworker has publicly shared.
Speak up when campaigns/approaches/products in the workplace reinforce stereotypical roles.
Ensure there is space for LGBTQ+ voices. Notice if someone is being quiet in a meeting and find creative ways to step aside or highlight their insights.
Cultural change and social justice happen in our workplaces, homes, and communities by making our corner of the world a safe haven for the humanity of others.
We do this because we all want to live proudly, to be ourselves, and because, on some level, we know our true home is within the moral arc of the universe.
So let's act this day, and every day, until there is no more need for a “Pride or Die” t-shirt.