Business leaders have a responsibility not only to drive financial success, but also to create inclusive and supportive environments for their employees. In recent years, the importance of allyship for LGBTQ+ individuals has gained considerable attention – for good reason. Being an active ally is not only the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint, but it also delivers tangible business benefits.
For example, GLAAD’s 2023 Accelerating Acceptance study found, “70% of non-LGBTQ adults agree companies should publicly support the LGBTQ community through hiring practices, advertising and/or sponsorships.” Clearly, advocacy has a strong bottom line business impact and many organizations lag behind the generally-held sentiment of a majority of Americans.
In other words, the support of LGBTQ+ employees and fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace is not a theoretical pursuit. Any executive not taking these steps is exposing their organizations to risk from clients, consumers, employees and other stakeholders who are demanding that they live up to the organizational values they claim to embrace.
All the rainbow flags in the world and Pride programming can’t cover for a leader or organization who is merely giving lip service to allyship as a performative exercise.
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