Pride Toolkit
As we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month this year, we wanted to provide you, our long-standing members of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber, with an updated 2024 Pride Digital Toolkit.
This toolkit allows you to download Pride-themed Zoom backgrounds, sample social media posts and graphic, as well as resources on inclusivity and commonly asked questions and so much more.
We hope that you find this to be a useful tool this Pride. Let us know what you use and what we can add in 2024.
Thank you for all that you do for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Happy Pride!
Virtual Backgrounds
Chamber Member Badge Images for Your Website and Email Signature
Social Media Posts and Images
Copy samples for use on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn
- Happy Pride! We’re so glad to be a part of making Wisconsin a more welcoming & inclusive place by showing our support for the LGBTQ+ community all year round.
- According to UCLA’s Williams Institute School of Law, 46% of LGBT workers have experienced unfair treatment at some point in their lives. At [business name here], we are proud to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month and all year round.
- It’s #pridemonth and we couldn’t be happier to show our support! As an LGBTQ+ [owned or allied] business, we believe that love is love and everyone deserves to feel safe and happy, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity. Happy Pride!
- Happy Pride! This month, let’s get loud and let’s get proud! Tag us in your Pride celebrations and show off how pride is for everyone!
- Pride Month is a time where we celebrate all the members of the LGBTQ+ community and all that they’ve done! We are a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and at [insert business name here], everyone is welcome.
- “History isn't something you look back at and say it was inevitable. It happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.” ― Marsha P. Johnson As we celebrate Pride Month, it’s important to remember the impact that community leaders, like Marsha P. Johnson, had on the LGBTQ+ community. Drop your favorite LGBTQ+ community leaders below!
- For Flags of the LGBTQ+ Community Graphic: "Did you know that each identity of the LGBTQ+ community has their own distinct color schemes that reflect the identities they represent, fostering visibility, recognition, and celebration of each unique aspect of the LGBTQ+ spectrum? Each color scheme is carefully chosen to symbolize the unique challenges, struggles, and triumphs of different LGBTQ+ groups. The rainbow flag, designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, represents the broader LGBTQ+ community and its unity in diversity while the transgender pride flag, created by Monica Helms in 1999, features pink and blue stripes to symbolize the traditional colors associated with baby boys and girls, with a white stripe in the center representing those who are transitioning or consider themselves to have a neutral or undefined gender."
- For Search Terms Graphic: "As we celebrate Pride Month, don't forget the importance of educating ourselves on all things LGBTQ+. With just a few clicks, we can unlock a treasure trove of knowledge, from understanding the significance of each pride flag's colors to discovering fabulous resources for support and allyship. Dive into the vibrant world of LGBTQ+ education—it's the ultimate accessory for building a more inclusive and sparkly future!
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"Here are some hashtags to consider using as well:
- #PrideMonth
- #Pride2024
- #lgbtq
- #loveislove
- #lgbtbiz
- #lgbtqpride
- #welcomingandinclusive
Here are some responses to negative comments on social media:
- We support the LGBTQ+ community because being inclusive results in higher job satisfaction, productivity, and retention of talented employees. You can learn more about why corporations like us embrace LGBTQ+ causes here.
- It is important to us to show the LGBTQ+ community that all are welcome at our business. You can learn more about why inclusivity is important here.
- It’s important to celebrate Pride Month because many LGBTQ+ individuals don’t feel accepted or often feel excluded and we want to do what we can to change that. Learn more about the importance of celebrating Pride here.
Facebook and LinkedIn Cover Photos
Display a Welcoming & Inclusive Sticker
Is your business or organization displaying your Welcoming & Inclusive Sticker in your window? This is a great way to help draw in street traffic and show members of the community that this is an accepting business.
You can buy additional Welcoming & Inclusive stickers online for $5.00 each. Click here to purchase more stickers.
*Please note, stickers will be mailed out on a weekly basis so please planning accordingly.
FAQs and Resources
FAQs:
Why are pronouns important?
- Using someone’s correct personal pronouns is a way to respect them and create an inclusive environment, just as using a person’s name can be a way to respect them. Just as it can be offensive or even harassing to make up a nickname for someone and call them that nickname against their will, it can be offensive or harassing to guess at someone’s pronouns and refer to them using those pronouns if that is not how that person wants to be known. Or, worse, actively choosing to ignore the pronouns someone has stated that they go by could imply the oppressive notion that intersex, transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people do not or should not exist. You can learn more about pronoun use and the importance, visit pronouns.org
What are the benefits of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace?
- There are a multitude of benefits to LGBTQ+ inclusion, ranging from employee satisfaction to revenue changes. Research published in 2021 showed that companies with inclusive LGBTQ+ policies, “increased employee commitment, job satisfaction, productivity, and more altruistic workplace behavior.” Additionally, businesses with more LGBT-friendly corporate policies “have higher profitability and higher stock market valuations.” Bottom line - being inclusive increases revenue and employee well-being and retention.
How should I respond to friends or coworkers who make homophobic or transphobic comments about a person who is LGBTQ+ identifying?
- Responding to inappropriate comments can be difficult, but it is an important step to creating a more inclusive environment.Here are some steps you can take in responding to homophobic or transphobic comments:
- Interrupt or interject - a simple “stop” or “that’s enough” can go a long way
- Show disapproval - “we don’t talk like that here” or “not cool,” if they double down, let them know they’ve crossed a line
- Express upset feelings - “I’m surprised to hear you say something like that” or “I really don’t think that’s funny”
- Call it what it is - “that’s transphobic” or “what you said sounds very homophobic”
- Disagree - “I don’t think that’s true” or “that’s not accurate”
- Point out how it’s offensive or hurtful - “that’s perpetuating an untrue stereotype” or “that’s a really rude thing to say about that group of people”
- Don’t laugh at the joke - “I don’t see how that’s funny” or “that’s doesn’t make sense”
- Give them a chance to apologize - they may get flustered for being called out. Accept their discomfort and move on
- If you are uncomfortable, walk away
How do I personally implement strategies for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace and encourage my employer to codify policies?
- There are many ways to show inclusivity in the workplace. These gestures can have a big impact in creating a culture of acceptance and inclusion in your workplace.
- Include your pronouns in your email signature and ask others what pronouns they would like used
- Use inclusive language, like using partner or spouse instead of husband or wife, and gender neutral terms (police officer instead of policeman)
- Stay informed on things happening in the LGBTQ+ community
- Speak up when you hear rude or inappropriate comments
- Visually indicate your support with a pin, button, sticker, flag, etc.
- Admit when you’ve made a mistake and ask for clarification if necessary. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, but it’s important to take ownership of a mistake and learn from it.
Resources
- Why Many Businesses Are Becoming More Vocal In Support of LGBTQ Rights - A Harvard Business Review article on how LGBTQ+ inclusion builds up businesses both internally and externally.
- 7 Reasons My Business Needs to Be LGBT Affirming - A Dolan Research International article on how being LGBTQ+ affirming benefits your business.
- How To Be A Better Ally To The LGBTQ Community - A CNN article about steps you can take to become a better ally.
- Pride Pays: LGBT-Friendly Businesses Are More Profitable, Research Shows - an article from Forbes on the economic impact supporting the LGBTQ+ community has on businesses.
- Overall Approaches for LGBT Equality - a good overview of approaches to conversations about equality.
- PFLAG - PFLAG has a large amount of resources for people, ranging from finding support as an LGBTQ+ individual to being a better ally in the workplace, the transgender community, and different faith communities.
Glossary of Terms
We put together an easy to use slideshow explaining LGBTQ+ terms that you can use as an educational tool for your employees, stakeholders, or to continue your learning of the LGBTQ+ community. it is available for download here.
For a further glossary of LGBTQ+ terms and definitions, you can visit the GLAAD Glossary of Terms.
Update Your Chamber's Business Directory Listing
Is your Business Directory listing up to date? Do you have the right key words, business description, contact information?
Be sure to update your listing to keep it fresh so that individuals who are traveling the state for Pride Month can find you. Click here for a How-To guide to update your listing.
As Pride Month continues, please reach out to us at info@wislgbtchamber.com for more tools and resources to promote your business this month.