Pride is here again – and it’s like a glitter bomb dropped in mundane everyday life
Pride Month doesn’t smooth things over – it shakes them up. It doesn’t beat around the bush when it asks: is our working life really equal, safe, open and fair for everyone? Or is it still an area where some people have to hide who they are in order to fit in?
Pride is not shy talk in the corner of the break room. It’s full of colour, sound and attitude. It’s not a month of giving a little attention. It’s a month of claiming the space to be seen and heard, loud and clear. It’s a reminder that all the colours of the rainbow, all identities and all forms of love need to be visible also in working life, with big bold letters and with pride.
If people in a workplace still hesitate and ask “can we celebrate this”, the answer is: we damn well can and should!
Pride is not a pretty sticker in the calendar. It’s action and a clear message that people in the workplace don’t need to hide and don’t need to watch out what they say when they talk about their beloved. It means that here you can use your pronouns without eye rolling and wear exactly what feels right to you without questioning, unwelcome comments or startled reactions. Being who you are is not courtesy, it’s a fundamental right.
If this is not yet understood in a workplace, that place is not a little behind the times – it’s prehistoric. Equality in working life is not an optional add-on, it’s an indicator of what age the workplace lives in. A workplace is in the wrong millennium if it can’t create a space where everyone can be who they are – and speak of it and show it with pride.
Being who you are is not courtesy, it is a fundamental right.
Equality in working life is not a trend, and not a campaign that takes place for one month every year and is forgotten in the next quarter. It’s the reality. Those workplaces and work communities that can’t keep up with this are left behind. Not only in terms of their values but also when it comes to competition for talent, reputation, and success.
The time for a change is now
Pride Month is the perfect time to have an honest look in the mirror, without hiding behind excuses or filters. Ask: Is our recruitment process truly discrimination free or do we unknowingly repeat patterns that close doors?
Is our work community really safe for everyone, or do the words “we have never had any problems” just echo in silence? Does the language that we use include everyone, or is someone left unseen because they don’t fit in the assumptions?
If the answers to these question sting, that is a call for a change. The right time to start the change is immediately. Because it’s the right thing to do, and because the working life of the future is made of diversity that allows everyone to shine.
Equality requires action all the time
Pride is more than rainbow flags and logos in social media. Pride is the right to be seen as we are. It’s a battle that has been fought for decades and that still continues.
Pride is also a constant demand: equality in society and in working life don’t just happen or come true when they’re observed in ceremonial speeches. They are created decision by decision, act by act and workplace by workplace. That requires courage to question assumptions, look at the structures and change the way things are done.
Working life isn’t just work. It’s a big part of life. Everyone has the right to a life where they can be visible, valued and who they are. Also in the Monday morning staff meeting.
Let’s not hide in this Pride Month! Let’s shine this year!