Perspectives on Pride in the Workplace
After a busy #PrideMonth spent supporting our clients’ initiatives, we turn the mic to our own Wikipedia Strategist, KJ Young, to discuss what Pride means for her in the workplace.
Queer inclusivity is more than tolerance
We're taught to tolerate beliefs and values that are different than our own, but we aren't taught to celebrate what makes everyone different. Inclusivity is affirming and normalizing. From my perspective, all queer people want is for their identity and relationships to be treated in the same manner as their hetero counterparts—no more attention, no less.
I've felt like I lived a double life
During my first months at Beutler Ink I was hesitant to fully show up (i.e. mention my partner with she/her pronouns), because I've worked in a place where I felt like I lived a double life. I was able to pass straight to maintain what was considered “wholesome” or palatable, but I could only be truly free after hours in a bar surrounded by queens. This fear was squashed when I met other queer coworkers who were out, proud, and visibly loved and respected by the rest of the team.
There were no fireworks, but it was monumental
When you don't feel safe bringing your whole self to work, you can never be fully present in your job, no matter how dedicated or skilled you are. A major milestone was at our annual summit, a month into working at BINK. We were all sitting around the table talking about our families and significant others and Rhi, my boss, asked how I met my partner. It was really simple. There were no fireworks, but it was monumental for me. I felt like it was the same question that would be asked if my partner were male–this is true equality.
Work at a place that aligns with your values
I wish I had been taught that working at a place that aligns with your values is a top priority. If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be that there are people out there that won't even bat an eye at your orientation and there are places that will show you the respect you deserve–don't settle until you find them.
Allyship is more than rainbow logos in June
While it's very important to advocate for policy protecting against discrimination in the workplace, it's just as important to continue opening people's hearts and expanding education. If you have a supervisor with homophobic or racist ideologies, they will find other ways to fire you legally or make your life challenging. So have those difficult conversations with family members. Include trans women of color and youth—the most marginalized groups in the LBGTQ community—in your conversations. You could help someone you don't even know.
