River's Edge ’s Post

As an ally to the LGBTQIA community, I believe in both celebrating 🎉 and commemorating 🕯️ Pride Month. Celebrating highlights the joy and achievements of the community, while commemorating honors the struggles and history. However, if you are a leader or in a position to influence, we must go beyond for real change and achieve inclusivity and diversity. True allyship extends beyond June and involves continuous commitment throughout the year. In my experience, these are some key areas where we can have an impact: Inclusive Policies: Advocate for non-discrimination policies and equal benefits. 🏳️🌈 Ongoing Education: Encourage regular training on LGBTQIA issues. Learn inclusive language, terms, and how it is all evolving. 📚 Support and Sponsorship: Provide continuous funding and participate in LGBTQIA initiatives year-round. 💸 Advocacy: Speak out against anti-LGBTQIA and support equality-promoting laws. 📢 True allyship means making inclusion and support a constant priority, not just a seasonal gesture. Overall, we should practice more empathy and understanding about all that seems different from ourselves. 💖 #leadership #pridemonth #behaviors

🌈 Pride Allyship: Fostering Inclusion and Support 🌈 As we celebrate Pride Month this June, let’s recognise the vital role allies play in supporting the LGBTQIA community. Effective allyship goes beyond mere labels; it’s about meaningful actions. Here are three key components to be a good ally: Acceptance: Embrace diversity. Accept individuals for who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Show empathy and understanding. Humility: Recognise that you don’t know everything. Be open to learning and unlearning. Listen to LGBTQIA voices and experiences without assuming you have all the answers. Action: Advocate actively. Speak out against discrimination, support others in sharing their stories, and educate yourself about the invisible barriers faced by your LGBTQIA peers. But remember, true allyship extends beyond public spaces. It’s about standing up for the community even when they’re not in the room. Be their voice, challenge stereotypes, and create safe spaces everywhere you go. #PrideAllyship #InclusionMatters #DEI

🌈 Pride Allyship: Fostering Inclusion and Support 🌈 As we celebrate Pride Month this June, let’s recognise the vital role allies play in supporting the LGBTQIA community. Effective allyship goes beyond mere labels; it’s about meaningful actions. Here are three key components to be a good ally: Acceptance: Embrace diversity. Accept individuals for who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Show empathy and understanding. Humility: Recognise that you don’t know everything. Be open to learning and unlearning. Listen to LGBTQIA voices and experiences without assuming you have all the answers. Action: Advocate actively. Speak out against discrimination, support others in sharing their stories, and educate yourself about the invisible barriers faced by your LGBTQIA peers. But remember, true allyship extends beyond public spaces. It’s about standing up for the community even when they’re not in the room. Be their voice, challenge stereotypes, and create safe spaces everywhere you go. #PrideAllyship #InclusionMatters #DEI

As we kickoff Pride Month celebrations, it's important to remember that while we've made significant strides towards equality, there's still work to be done. Pride is more than just colorful parades and joyful celebrations; it's about recognizing and addressing the inequalities that persist. Despite the progress we've seen in recent years, many LGBTQIA individuals continue to face discrimination, prejudice, and systemic barriers in various aspects of their lives. From unequal access to healthcare and employment opportunities to higher rates of homelessness and violence, the disparities faced by queer and trans folks are stark reminders of the ongoing fight for equality. Our top priority is creating and sustaining a culture of belonging and learning by: ✅ Allocating resources towards DEIB-focused employee development initiatives, inviting external speakers, and providing educational resources to increase awareness of key topics. ✅ Implementing inclusive recruitment and hiring strategies, including sourcing candidates from diverse backgrounds, and forming diverse interview panels to ensure equitable opportunities for all applicants.   As we celebrate Pride, we don’t lose sight of the work that still needs to be done.    Happy Pride Month! 🏳️🌈✨ #PrideMonth #Ultragenyx #Advocacy #Inclusion 

We celebrate diversity every month, but for all of April, we would like for you to join us as we honor Diversity Month and highlight a few of those who have helped with this journey from our very own Arkansas community. “It is a time to recognize and understand our differences, be it gender, race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, and other factors, while honoring the common essence of humanity. By appreciating our similarities and differences, the month aims to get people to foster a deeper understanding of others, regardless of who they are, what they are, or how they live.” #ARlegal #DiversityMonth #DiversityMonth2024 #Inclusion #Equity #Equality #Community #JusticeForAll #ArkansasCommunity #DiversityMatters #RepresentationMatters #InclusionMatters #Disability #HumanRights #DisabilityAwareness

Top tips for championing inclusivity during Pride month...and beyond! 🌈 Be an ally, learn about LGBTQIA issues to enhance your understanding and support of the community. 🌈 Examine and challenge your own biases to cultivate a more inclusive mindset. 🌈 Confront discriminatory language or behaviours, promoting respect and acceptance. 🌈 Utilise inclusive language and pronouns to foster a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. 🌈 Listen to LGBTQIA experiences and concerns with empathy and without judgement. 🌈 Advocate for policies and practices that promote equality and protect against discrimination. LGBTQIA inclusion should take place 365 days of the year. This is why Lifetime Group has its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy in place to make sure we’re always considering the rights and needs of the LGBTQIA community when decisions are being made, and to avoid any kind of ‘performative allyship’.

As #PrideMonth2024 comes to an end, let’s remember to continuously celebrate and support the LGBTQIA community all year-round. At YLD, we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and continuously strive to improve our support for the LGBTQIA community. We host regular learning sessions with our team, and together with community advocates we explore new ways to support the LGBTQIA community together. Let's keep the discussion going: How are you supporting the LGBTQIA community? Comment below! #PrideMonth #pride #inclusivity

It’s time to celebrate Pride. 🌈 - It’s time to activate your allyship. > How are you intentionally showing up for your queer-identifying team members? > How are you participating in creating and sustaining an inclusive workplace for all? > Are you truly present for and with the queer community within your organization? • Are you sure? • How do you know? > How are you helping to create safe spaces for queer people? - Now is the time. > Start now. > And continue after June 30. It’s time to celebrate Pride. 🌈 Happy Pride! One 💚