Infinite Rainbows: How Pride Celebrations Can Last Through the Year, With Action

By Sian Welch

When the calendar flips to June 1, many of us notice a change on our social media platforms; corporate logos swap from traditional branding to that sporting technicolor rainbows. This signals the observance of Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and a month of recognition that dates back to the 1969 Stonewall uprising, where actions of queer resistance and liberation took root as an enduring, ever-vigilant call to drive change.

And now, fast-forward to where we are today on July 1, those bold logos are all but gone—and often with them the celebratory spirit of inclusivity, sanctuary and allyship. This has come to be known as “rainbow washing,” where entities display LGBTQ+ insignia and symbolism during Pride Month, but don’t actively pursue policies or support people who identify as LGBTQ+. Many of these organizations don’t know where to start—and the fact that action pays dividends.

Global studies show that employees in diverse and inclusive workplaces are more likely to enjoy their jobs, work harder, innovate more and ultimately stay with their employers longer. Diverse organizations have also been found to be nearly a third more productive and 21% more profitable than their peers–there is hope yet for organizations to act, implementing an inclusive culture, and putting some meat behind those rainbow logos.

At IWBI, we’ve developed research-backed tools to help organizations create places where people can thrive—where everyone feels welcome, seen and heard. The WELL Equity Rating is a roadmap that empowers organizations to take action and drive accountability toward their diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals. The rating helps organizations prioritize and implement equitable policies, programs and design interventions for the most marginalized people, including the LGBTQ+ community, allowing companies to proactively put measures in place that drive change—internally and externally.

Features of the rating are designed to be flexible because we know things are never one-size-fits-all. If you design with everyone in mind, we all benefit.

As the symbols of Pride month fade away in favor of the next big celebration, it’s the progress we’ve made that matters most. Because while we celebrate Pride for one month, the inclusion we strive for requires permanent change, and that requires our attention all 365 days of the year.

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