How to Celebrate Pride Month in the Lehigh Valley with some help from your Lehigh Valley Realtors.
1. Attend a Pride Parade or Event
From Singapore to Toronto, and everywhere in between, there are many popular festivals and parades to attend throughout the months of June and July.
To find pride events in your city, check out this useful guide: http://www.gaypridecalendar.com/world
2. Be an Ally
When someone in your life tells you that they are LGBTQIA+, it can be difficult to know how to respond. Your initial reaction may be one of surprise, excitement, confusion, discomfort, or none of the above. Be honest in your response, but you should also recognize the importance of your response and the impact it may have.
3. Organize a T-Shirt Design Contest
Encourage your employer to get involved by holding a t-shirt design contest. The winner of the contest will then have their design printed on shirts and handed out to employees throughout the month.
4. Volunteer or Donate
Give back to the community through a volunteer initiative such as supporting a local LGBTQIA+ youth or community center or raising money for a charity/foundation such as the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. To find a great charity, try using Charity Navigator.
5. Become an Advocate
If your company doesn’t already have a Pride Employee Network, then start one! The Thomson Reuters Pride at Work Employee Network was created to create a safe and inclusive workplace, while remaining aligned with our business objects, those of our customers and external partners and the wider LGBTQIA+ community. Local chapters of our Pride at Work network are run by employees all over the world.
6. Educate Yourself
Do you know why we celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride month in June? Spend some time learning about the history of Pride, a movement precipitated by the Stonewall Riots in 1969 in New York.
7. Support LGBTQIA+ art and culture
The LGBTQIA+ art community is vibrant, influential and pervasive. Go see a LGBTQIA+-themed show or movie, visit an LGBTQIA+ art gallery, or buy an album from an LGBTQIA+ artist.
8. Consider your company’s LGBTQIA+ inclusivity
Does your company have a culture and resources that promote LGBTQIA+ inclusivity? Is there something you can do to make LGBTQIA+ coworkers feel more comfortable in your office? Is there a benefit that excludes LGBTQIA+ employees? Start a dialogue and make resources available to try to create a workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees will feel valued and accepted.
As Gay Friendly Real Estate Agents in Allentown PA, we would love to help you experience Pride Month!