In case you havenβt heard, February is the annual month long observance of LGBT history in the UK (and Hungary ππΊ)
LGBT History Month π³οΈβπ is a great way to celebrate the progress we have made as a society and to promote further inclusion overall. However, this hasnβt always been the case, and itβs important to educate our youths.
The first LGBT History month was initiated in the UK back in 2005 with the primary aim to educate people about the history of the gay rights movement, and to promote an inclusive modern society. And yet, 15 years on, we seem to be falling down when it comes to putting this into action. In the past year alone, homophobic attacks in London have risen by more than 22%. Did you read that? 22%. This made me pause to think, what can we be doing as a company to reduce this and why isnβt more being done?
We see the same challenges across all of our customers, whether they are in Finance, Pharmaceuticals, Consumer goods, or Government, everyone has initiatives around promoting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace.
The first step to achieving this? Let your employees do the talking.
D&I and LGBT should not just be buzzwords that float around the boardroom or around the coffee machine every now and then, they should be at the heart of every organisation and the fore-front of ALL teams, not just left to the folks in D&I or Employer Brand. Your people are everything; your company, your brand, your identity - and ultimately your biggest asset.
Richard Branson put it best by stating βClients do not come first, Employees come first. If you take care of your employees they will take care of the clients.β That is why companies should champion their employees and let them share their own story in hope to inspire and galvanize us all to treat each other with the respect we deserve regardless of sexuality, gender and ultimately the feelings we have as this diversity is what makes us all human.
