By Ainsley Lawrence
Workplaces that cherish diversity are more resilient, attract better talent, and routinely outperform their more homogenous competitors. This sentiment is echoed by a recent McKinsey survey, which found that diverse businesses were 25% more likely to record above-average profits than the market average.
Concerningly, however, that same McKinsey study found that only 52% of employees viewed diversity in a positive light, while 61% had a thoroughly negative view of initiatives to improve inclusion in the workplace.
As an ally, there’s plenty you can do to reshape the workplace and amplify LGBTQ+ voices. Actionable steps, like calling for authentic representation, can push employers to reconsider their position on diversity and help LGBTQ+ peers get the promotions and pay raises that they deserve.
Standing Up for Diversity
As a progressive-minded ally, you probably don’t need to be convinced that diversity is a good thing. Shockingly, 51% of Americans believe it is “morally wrong” to change one’s gender, while 25% still, somehow, believe that lesbian and gay relationships are immoral.
The expansion of the Equality Act will, hopefully, protect all LGBTQ+ employees from discrimination in the workplace. However, strong allyship is still necessary to ensure that all Americans have equal access to employment without fear of reprisal due to their identity. Without active allyship, some folks may feel forced into gentrifying their professional identity to “fit in” with a toxic work culture.
Dr. Laura McGuire, an entrepreneur, sexologist, and doula, explains how being told to “rethink your image” in order “to be more palatable to white, middle-class America” robs LGBTQ+ folks of their greatest asset: authenticity. LGBTQ+ folks who feel empowered to express themselves can create social change by “paving new roads for other marginalized folks, as well as for generations to come.”
As an ally, standing up for diversity can be challenging—particularly if you’re working in an environment that openly discriminates against folks based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While you may not be able to convince your co-workers that supporting LGBTQ+ rights is morally right, you can focus on the benefits of championing diversity in the workplace:
- Increased Productivity: Leveraging a think tank of different opinions and values can help businesses problem solve and increase day-to-day productivity;
- Attract Better Talent: 56% of applicants say that culture is more important than pay grade. As such, workplaces that champion diversity and inclusion are sure to bring more talented, forward-thinking folks into the fold;
- Reduced Turnover: No one wants to work for an employer that actively “others” them. Embracing diversity can reduce staff turnover and save firms plenty of cash during the hiring process.
The material gains associated with increased diversity can’t be overlooked by even the most prejudiced of business leaders. For-profit businesses are, by definition, motivated by increased income. As an ally, you can use these insights to appeal to the leadership teams in your firm and build a more diverse workplace for all.
Understand the Key Issues
True allyship is about more than showing your support for LGBTQ+ folks in June. As an ally, you have to understand the key issues that LGBTQ+ people face in Southern states today. Understanding the challenges that folks face will help you embolden their voices and help shape authentically diverse workplaces.
At a minimum, you should be broadly familiar with the ever-changing legal landscape and its impact on LGBTQ+ folks in the South. Some key legal changes impacting LGBTQ+ individuals today include:
- Over 540 anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in 2023 alone;
- Anti-drag bills are sweeping the South, with Tennessee passing the first anti-drag law;
- The advancement of HB 354 (AKA the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) in states like Alabama and Florida;
- 45 anti-trans bills limiting or outlawing gender-affirming care.
Becoming more aware of the pertinent legal and social issues that LGBTQ+ folks face is essential if you want to build workplaces that are safe, affirming, and authentically promote equality. This is particularly important if you are an entrepreneur and run your own business.
Representation
Queer entrepreneurship is a wonderful form of activism that encourages grassroots change and builds workplaces centered on the belief that everyone should have the option to bring their authentic self to work. Embracing queer entrepreneurship can amplify your impact and help you build a work environment that is both diverse and safe for LGBTQ+ folks.
As a progressive entrepreneur, you can use your position and privilege to increase representation and embolden diversity efforts. Consider foregrounding diversity and inclusion in your advertising and promoting representation with your marketing campaigns. Digital representation is often regarded as the lowest form of activism, but it is still an important part of allyship today. Start by listening to your co-workers and customers and follow in their example using empathy and active listening as your guide.
Make Material Changes
Representation is an important step toward shaping a more diverse, inclusive workplace. However, adequate representation is, in reality, the minimum standard by which you should measure yourself as an ally for the LGBTQ+ community.
Rather than resting on your laurels, advocate for material changes in the workplace that challenge tokenism and help LGBTQ+ employees attain the promotions and pay raises that they deserve. This is particularly important today, as LGBTQ+ workers currently earn an average of $0.90 for every dollar that a straight, cisgender employee makes. This wage gap is, clearly, unacceptable and needs to be challenged.
If you notice that LGBTQ+ employees are underrepresented at the leadership level, consider raising this as an issue at your next company-wide town hall. At a minimum, this will help the managers and C-Suite leaders in your firm reconsider their promotion practices and can lead to an avalanche of progressive change at work.
Follow up by enrolling in initiatives to improve the legal landscape for LGBTQ+ employees in America. Organizations like PFLAG are always in need of volunteers and will give you the tools you need to lobby for progressive change at the state and federal levels.
You can also make donations to organizations that improve the opportunities that LGBTQ+ youth have when entering the workforce. Groups like The Trevor Project offer crisis intervention and education to LGBTQ+ youth but are reliant upon donations and grants. Your donation can help organizations like The Trevor Project pressure politicians to pass bills that mandate diversity in the workplace and advance equality across the South.
Advocating for material changes that boost the income and well-being of LGBTQ+ employees can give you a sense of accomplishment. However, it’s important to note that, while advocating as an ally, you should position yourself as a follower rather than a focal point.
Positioning yourself as a follower ensures that you do no harm to your LGBTQ+ peers. It’s all too easy to accidentally “out” a peer when you’re advocating for them, and you may find yourself speaking on topics that are beyond your understanding. While passionate allyship is important, bringing a self-aware approach can avoid common missteps like pressuring folks into sharing their pronouns or inadvertently erasing the experience of bi+ people.
Moving Forward
Allyship can advance LGBTQ+ rights and amplify the voices of the traditionally marginalized in the workplace. Folks who want to authentically advance equality and diversity at work should start by educating themselves on the pertinent issues that LGBTQ+ employees face today. This can improve representation in the workplace and raise awareness of key legal issues that impact LGBTQ+ employees.
Follow up on efforts to improve representation by making material changes at your place of work. Such changes—like promoting folks from the LGBTQ+ community to leadership positions—ensure that traditionally underrepresented employees can thrive in workplaces that champion dignity, inclusivity, and equality.
