Learn how companies can celebrate Pride month and show support for LGBTQ+ team members in June and all year long, using employee stories. 

Amplifying LBGTQ+ voices should be a year-round element of your employer brand strategy. Rather than saying you have an inclusive workplace, stories from team members who have benefited from the inclusive culture and policies prove that you are who you say you are. 

Also true: Pride month is an important time to specifically honor and show support for LBGTQ+ team members within your company. What stories will you share this June?

As you consider the tone and types of employee stories you want to share this Pride month, consider this: 90 anti-LGTQ+ bills were passed in 2023 and 37 have been passed in 2024 so far. Showing your support is more important than ever.

In addition to signaling support through rainbow flags and corporate statements, companies are being urged to speak to the tangible actions they are taking to support the needs of the community. Ways to do this include sponsoring inclusive benefits and supporting pro-LBGTQ+ organizations.  

By sharing stories from team members that show the impact of your inclusive culture, you communicate how your organization is working towards a better future for LBGTQ+ in your company and around the world. 

To get you inspired, we’ve rounded up examples of how companies are supporting Pride month through employee stories.

Choice Hotels: Organizational Support for LBGTQ+ Team Members

If your company has cultivated belonging in the workplace, use employee stories to show how leadership and the administration stepped up to support LBGTQ+ team members during challenging times. 

In this video from Choice Hotels, Pride ERG Leader Chelsea M. shares how her team was able to advocate for a colleague struggling with a decision and how it would affect them at work.

In addition to taking steps to make that associate feel safe at that moment, Chelsea and her team took steps to ensure that the rest of the workplace would be a safe environment for that colleague during this challenging time. 

Capital One: Perspectives from LBGTQ+ Leaders

If your company has senior leaders who are out at work, giving them a platform to share their story has powerful benefits throughout the organization. This leader visibility shows other LBGTQ+ team members that the company values their contributions and that they, too, can experience positive career growth. 

The Life at Capital One blog is full of diverse employee stories all year long, including the stories of their LGBTQIA+ team members. One blog post featured stories from three LGBTQIA+ members of Capital One leadership who are out and sharing their full identities freely in their offices.

Their stories show how they’ve been able to personally thrive in their work, create more inclusive spaces for their teams, and help Capital One drive changes across the organization.

Labcorp: Showing the Impact of Employee Resource Groups 

Labcorp’s mission is to “improve health and lives,” and that mission extends to helping their LGBTQ+ employees feel valued and cared for at work. To communicate this support, Labcorp virtually captured stories from several LGBTQ+ employees who are members of the company’s Pride ERG. 

The video shares specific ways the ERG has opened doors to creating a more inclusive workplace at Labcorp. In one story, Andy shares how the ERG paid for them to attend a bootcamp to become a certified trainer in trans and nonbinary competency. They now conduct trainings for various groups throughout Labcorp.

Labcorp’s compilation video shows that they’re working to create safe and affirming environments for their team members and patients. This video was one of 16 videos created to highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion at Labcorp. Read the case study to learn more!

GSK: Navigating Difficult Conversations 

If your company is building a more inclusive culture, there will be difficult conversations and challenges to overcome along the way. And that’s OK! By encouraging respectful dialogue and communication, your company is working towards a culture of belonging and mutual respect. 

GSK has recently launched their “What’s your angle?” film series featuring team members around the globe discussing topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In the example below, you hear a candid conversation about LBGTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.

More ways companies can celebrate Pride using employee stories

These are just a few examples of how companies can celebrate Pride month. Every Pride story is unique, just like the employees who share them. If your company didn’t share these stories in June, you didn’t miss your chance to show LGBTQIA+ employees and candidates of your allyship — you can capture and communicate these stories any time of year.

To learn more of how companies can celebrate Pride month and other aspects of their inclusive culture, download our guide, Top 10 Tips for Communicating a Diverse and Inclusive Culture, to get started!