Celebrating Pride month is a good thing for many reasons.

However, it's easy to slap a rainbow on social media profiles and not go any further in policy or practice and make real changes. So, this year, we wanted to dive deeper and share some real stories from our Solvers around Pride and embracing more diversity in the workplace. Here are some of their stories.

Why is it important for employers to recognize and celebrate Pride Month?

The first step in any relationship is to be able to feel welcomed and heard. The impact of building that mindset within the culture of a company is so paramount to employees feeling excited to go to work and bring their true, authentic self. Celebrating any marginalized community fighting for equal rights brings the aspect of equity and equality within the workplace. It conveys fairness and genuine love to embrace people as they are. When we ALL feel welcome, we ALL work better as a team. —Murali Krishnan Sundararaman, Strategic Advisor

It is important for employers to recognize and celebrate Pride as a way to create awareness and help educate those who do not understand and to create an empathetic, diverse, safe and accepting environment for those who may not otherwise feel that way. —Rachel Fitzgerald, Configuration Specialist

Pride month is important to celebrate for one reason in my opinion: diverse perspectives. Employees in the LGBTQ+ community experience and have knowledge regarding a lot of things that can help bring value and purpose to our organization, and ultimately help improve the workplace for members of all communities.—Konner Johnson, Integration Analyst I

Employers have a responsibility to not only respect and honor their employees, but to celebrate their diverse intersections. Pride month is a wonderful way to do so and builds rapport among LGBTQ+ employees, while also furthering a company's mission and vision around DEI initiatives bolstering a forward-thinking culture of acceptance.

As a non-binary queer human, working for an affirming employer makes my day-to-day more livable. I know that my team supports me and celebrates my existence within the organization and in turn, I feel comfortable showing up as my whole self to work making it even easier to deliver quality work. It's just that simple. —Alex Fisher, Member Advocate

We want to thank all our Solvers who shared their stories with us. Listening first is the most important step towards increasing acceptance, empathy, and diversity in the workplace. For more on how empathy can help your organization check out our 2021 State of Workplace Empathy report below.