23 Ideas for How to Celebrate Pride Month at Work 2023
It’s time to celebrate Pride Month at work with your team, and we’ve got plenty of ideas for you to turn your workplace into a fun and inclusive environment.
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and its many contributions to society. Pride Month has evolved into a month-long celebration LGBTQIA+ culture, identity, and activism. Your organization can support the LGBTQIA+ community by building a more inclusive work environment through charitable causes, team building activities and educational programming throughout Pride Month.
Are you wondering how to celebrate Pride at work? Let’s explore some creative and inclusive ideas to celebrate Pride at work. In this blog, we’ll provide you with 23 Pride ideas for work to help your organization celebrate Pride Month 2023.
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Alright, let’s get started!
Pride Event Ideas for Work
1. Hold Pride events at work throughout Pride Month
One of the most constructive ways to build an inclusive work environment is by hosting some Pride events throughout June—and beyond! Get creative with it, too. You can organize a virtual event or in-person event, depending on the nature of your office. Invite some speakers from your local LGBTQIA+ community to share their stories and educate your team.
Also consider including fun activities and giveaways to LGBTQIA+ businesses to cultivate a festive atmosphere.
Pro-tip: Whether you work in a remote office or a hybrid-work environment, Unboxed Experiences can help you organize team events during Pride Month. Whether you want to organize a fun Wine & Cheese Pairing event or a virtual wellness event for your group, Unboxed Experiences has plenty of special events to choose from. Contact one of our dedicated Event Planners to set up your own Pride Month celebration.
2. Decorate your office and workspace
The most iconic image of the Pride movement is the rainbow. The rainbow flag has become an international symbol of pride and acceptance for the LGBTQIA+ community, and adorning your office or workspace in Pride flags could be a great way to kick off Pride celebrations. You could use rainbow-colored flags, balloons, or even artwork to create a colorful and welcoming environment. Decorating your workplace sends a message of inclusivity and shows your support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
3. Attend a Pride Parade
One of the strongest ways to demonstrate your support for the LGBTQIA+ community is to attend—or even participate in—a Pride parade.
Pride parades are held in towns and cities all across North America throughout the month, with most of the festivities focused in June. Many of these parades provide opportunities for companies to sponsor booths and even floats, so your company can show its support. You could even create t-shirts, hats or other swag to hand out at the event. Sponsoring a Pride parade provides an opportunity for your employees to participate in Pride activities.
4. Celebrate with a virtual parade
Piggybacking on the last idea, there are now virtual Pride parades your employees can attend. This is a great idea for remote companies that largely operate in the virtual workspace.
Encourage your team to take time to tune into virtual Pride parades throughout the country. For example, the New York City Pride Parade (one of the largest parades in the U.S.) can be enjoyed remotely. Follow this link to learn more.
5. Sponsor a local LGBTQIA+ charity
Your organization should consider sponsoring a local LGBTQIA+ charity as part of your Pride Month celebrations. This is a great way to give back to the community and show your support with your wallet. Organize a fundraiser to raise money for the charity, or simply make a donation on behalf of your company. You may want to consider reaching out to your employees to see if they have any appropriate charities that are near and dear to their hearts that your company can support with a donation during Pride Month.
6. Participate in LGBTQIA+ community service
Your company’s support of LGBTQIA+ charities doesn’t have to be monetarily based, either. Organize a company-wide community service project to support a local LGBTQIA+ charity or organization. This can help promote social responsibility among your employees and create a more inclusive workplace. It is recommended that you set aside a day of work for your company to participate, rather than asking your employees to come in during their days off.
7. Offer paid time off for LGBTQIA+ events
Maybe instead of setting aside an entire company day off, you can instead offer paid time off for your employees to attend LGBTQIA+ throughout June.
8. Launch a company-wide diversity, equity and inclusion initiative
Create a diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes policies and practices that support and promote the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. This can help attract and retain diverse talent and create a more welcoming company culture.
If your company has not yet launched a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program, there are some good resources available when you’re looking for somewhere to start. The Society for Human Resource Management has a very thorough library of resources to help you get started.
9. Host a speaker series
Invite LGBTQIA+ speakers or experts to speak to your employees about issues facing the local community. This can help promote education and understanding about the community.
10. Hold panel discussions
Related to the idea of bringing in speakers to present to your company, setting up panel discussions is another great way to bring informative and constructive discussion to your workplace. Invite local LGBTQIA+ activists, advocates, scholars and business owners to your virtual or in-person office to hold a discussion around important and relevant issues.
11. Create LGBTQIA+ employee resource groups
Resource groups are groups of employees who join in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences. They help members generally by providing support and career development opportunities while contributing to personal development.
During Pride Month, your organization can create a safe and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ employees to connect, network, and discuss issues they face in the workplace. This can help create a sense of community and promote inclusivity.
12. Set up a book club featuring LGBTQIA+ authors
The cultural impact of LGBTQIA+ people simply cannot be understated, and that includes some of the best authors in history. One way to immerse yourself and your employees in LGBTQIA+ culture is to select some books from LGBTQIA+ to read during Pride Month. Here are just a few suggestions:
- “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor – This novel follows a queer Black graduate student as he navigates the complexities of academia, race, sexuality, and relationships.
- “Detransition, Baby” by Torrey Peters – This novel explores the lives of three characters, including a trans woman who detransitions and becomes pregnant, as they navigate the complexities of gender and relationships.
- “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune – This heartwarming and whimsical book follows a man who inspects orphanages for magical youth, and his journey to a very special home filled with unique and LGBTQ+ characters.
- “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin – This novel explores the life of a young American man living in Paris and struggling with his sexuality, as he falls in love with another man.
- “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith – This classic novel follows the love affair between two women in the 1950s, and is considered groundbreaking for its time.
13. Build a Pride Resource Guide
As an organization, it may be a good idea to create a Pride resource guide for your team. This resource guide should include LGBTQIA+ terminology, resources for LGBTQIA+ employees, and information on local Pride events. Partner with a local LGBTQIA+ advocacy group to help you build this resource guide with correct information from appropriate sources.
14. Create a Pride Month social media campaign
If you want to support the LGBTQIA+ employees on your team and your local community, you can showcase your company’s support through social media campaigns. It’s important to increase visibility and show active support for LGBTQIA+ causes.
15. Host an educational workshop
Maybe some employees in your organization want to learn more about the LGBTQIA+, or would like to be connected to more advocacy resources. In this case, you can work with local organizations to bring in experts on building safe and more inclusive workplaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Fun Pride Month Celebration Ideas at Work
16. Support local LGBTQIA+ restaurants
Who doesn’t love some free grub at work every now and then? If your local community has notable restaurants owned by people in the LGBTQIA+ community, you can order lunch for the whole company from those restaurants.
17. Host a Pride Happy Hour
Happy hours have long been one of the most fun and relaxing ways for teams to get to know each other a little better. Host a special happy hour during Pride Month to give your employees opportunities to celebrate over special Pride-themed cocktails, beers from LGBTQIA+ owned breweries and other drinks.
Pro-tip: Is your organization fully remote, but you still want to host a happy hour for your team? No problem! Unboxed Experience specializes in hosting virtual happy hour events for remote teams. Choose between Beer & Cheese Pairings or Wine & Cheese Pairings to bring boozy fun to your employees across the country.
18. Hold a drag queen bingo night
Drag events are some of the most fun that anyone can have during Pride, so why not try and bring some of that fun to work? A virtual drag queen bingo night will create a fun and festive atmosphere while supporting drag artists.
19. Pride team building ideas
Pride-themed team building activities are a great way to celebrate Pride Month, all while creating a more cohesive team. You could organize activities like rainbow scavenger hunts, trivia games, or even a Pride-themed escape room.
19. Virtual pride celebrations
If your workplace is remote or has employees in different locations, consider organizing virtual pride celebrations. You could host virtual events like webinars, trivia games, or even virtual dance parties to celebrate Pride Month.
20. Organize a Pride-themed game night
Games are a great way to bring people together and celebrate Pride Month at work. You can organize a Pride-themed game night, complete with LGBTQIA+ trivia, rainbow-themed games, and other fun activities.
21. Build a Pride Month playlist
Create a playlist of songs from famous LGBTQIA+ artists that celebrate diversity, equity and inclusivity. You can play this playlist in the office or during lunch breaks, or share it on platforms like YouTube or Spotify so your team members can enjoy the playlist at home. This will help create a festive and inclusive atmosphere.
22. Host a Rainbow Cake Decorating Contest
Challenge your colleagues to a rainbow cake decorating contest. Provide each team with a plain cake, frosting, and edible decorations in rainbow colors. The winning team gets bragging rights and a prize.
23. Play LGBTQ+ Trivia
Host a game of LGBTQ+ trivia with your employees. This will help educate people about the history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community and create a fun and interactive day at work.
Conclusion
It’s important to celebrate and elevate diversity, equity and inclusivity, and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout Pride Month in June. Companies can create a more inclusive and safe workplace and demonstrate their support for the LGBTQIA+ community by establishing several Pride Month events and activities. These not only show current LGBTQIA+ they are valued by the company, but also broadcasts to the community that your company is an inclusive space that is ready to support a diverse team.
There are many, many ways to celebrate Pride Month throughout June—and the rest of the year! Use Pride Month as an opportunity to support local LGBTQIA+ charities and organizations, or bring in local advocates to help educate your team about contemporary issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community.
For more tips on how to set up celebrations at your workplace, check out our posts on virtual holiday parties or ways to celebrate Oktoberfest.
