Celebrating Pride

Pride Month is time designated each year to champion equality, call attention to injustice, and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. This resource from Social Current’s Knowledge and Insights Center (KIC) is designed to help your organization develop impactful Pride Month initiatives that extend beyond June and foster a more inclusive future. Learn how to effectively support your team, create positive change in your community, and stand firmly for LGBTQ+ rights all year round.

History of Pride Month

Pride Month, celebrated each June, traces back to theStonewall Uprisingin June 1969 in New York City. In response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, members of the LGBTQ+ community, notably Black transgender women, organized a series of spontaneous protests. This uprising is widely considered a turning point and one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S.

One year later, the first Pride marches were held in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising. These marches were both a commemoration of the resistance at Stonewall and a public demonstration for equal rights. The core message was a demand for visibility and an end to discrimination. The term “pride” was used as a direct counter-message to societal stigma.

Pride Month remains a powerful symbol of resistance, a celebration of identity, and a call to action. While significant progress has been made in many parts of the world, LGBTQ+ individuals still face discrimination, violence, and legal challenges. Pride Month serves as an important reminder of the work that still needs to be done to achieve full equality and acceptance for all. It encourages dialogue, promotes understanding, and inspires action to advocate against attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.

Further Reading on Pride History

• The History of Pride | Meg Metcalf, Library of Congress
• Pride Month: A History of Resistance | National LGBTQ Task Force
• Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising the Changed America | Martin Duberman, Penguin Random House
• The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle | Lillian Faderman, Simon & Schuster

Celebrating Pride at Your Workplace 

As we think about the actions human services professionals can take in our spheres of influence to celebrate and promote equity for the LGBTQ+ community this month, consider some of these simple initiatives you could take to create a more inclusive, safe workplace. This is a good time for leadership teams to affirm their commitment to equity and model inclusive behavior by championing a workplace Pride Month initiative.

• Host a book club featuring a book on LGBTQ+ history or themes
• Facilitate a virtual lunch and learn with LGBTQ+ advocates and/or community leaders
• Highlight LGBTQ+ stories and experiences by sharing a daily video or podcast

Whatever format you choose, make sure to establish ground rules that emphasize respect, active listening, and confidentiality. Using tools that allow participants to contribute anonymously is also helpful for encouraging candid, open discussion.

Take it into the Community

Your organization can also show its support to the wider community. Some activities to consider include:

• Organize a donation drive or fundraiser for a community-based organization focused on LGBTQ+ awareness and equity
• Create a space (physical or virtual) for employees to post how they support LGBTQ+ causes in their community all year long
• Coordinate educational toolkits, webinars, or events for the community focused on LGBTQ+ topics

Keep the Momentum

While Pride Month serves as a vital and visible celebration and a call to action, the fight for equity, acceptance, and safety for LGBTQ+ individuals is a daily reality, not a seasonal event. Being an ally year-round means consistently educating oneself, challenging discrimination whenever it arises, using inclusive language, uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, and advocating for systemic change. Consistent, active support helps create inclusive environments where LGBTQ+ people feel safe, respected, and empowered to be their authentic selves every day.

Knowledge and Insights Center Resources

Social Current’s Knowledge and Insights Center (KIC) offers leaders expertly curated resources to stay ahead of sector trends, implement best practices, and develop your leadership skills.

Learning Community

Enhance your leadership skills through a range of professional development and learning opportunities. The KIC offers live webinars, self-paced courses, trainings, and learning cohorts.

This month, celebrate Pride and discover how to keep your momentum year-round with:

Business, Media, & Research Databases

From thousands of premium journals to the latest social sector news and media, Social Current Impact Partners and KIC subscribers have access to a wealth of evidence-based resources to support them in addressing any leadership challenge.

Business Books Summaries. Want to learn from bestselling business authors, but don’t have time to read everything on your list? Business Book Summaries provides concise overviews of thousands of key business books to help stay current and develop new skills.

Top Business Book Summaries on inclusive workplace strategies:

1. All Pride, No Ego by Jim Fielding
2. I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace by Buki Mosaku
3. Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders by Eddie Pate & Johnathan Stutz
4. The Inclusive Organization by Netta Jenkins

The Inclusive Leader’s recommended reading list:

• Lead Like an Ally by Julie Kratz
• The Inclusive Language Handbook by Jackie Ferguson and Roxanne Bellamy
• Just Work: How to Root Out Bias, Prejudice, and Bullying to Build a Kick-Ass Culture of Inclusivity by Kim Scott
• Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces by Karen Catlin
• The Diversity Gap by Bethany B. Wilkinson
• Allies at Work: Creating a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Inclusive Work Environment by David M. Hall

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