Practical action over performativity: Reforming your Pride efforts

by Georgie Williams, DEI Consultant and Gender Identity Specialist

Pride season is officially upon us, and with it come many different approaches to honouring the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. If you are unsure how to approach Pride month within your organisation, this guide will provide you with pointers on how individuals can demonstrate their commitment to gender and sexuality equality not only this month, but throughout the year.

What is Pride about?

Pride is a month-long observance of LGBTQ+ history and the ongoing fight for equality that is not contingent on gender or sexual orientation. Many countries celebrate Pride in June, which marks the month of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York, USA. The events of the Stonewall Uprising saw patrons of the Stonewall Inn resisting the continued targeting of LGBTQ+ attendees by New York City’s police. This resistance sparked similar movements across the US and beyond.

Unfortunately, Pride’s history as a protest is often overlooked, but many activists and advocates use Pride season to rouse people to action and challenge enduring gender and sexual inequalities found locally and around the world. In the UK, the LGBTQ+ rights movement feels increasingly important. Since 2009, the UK’s LGBTQ+ rights ranking has fallen from first place across Europe to 22nd place in 2026 – the lowest ranking of any Western European country. Pride represents an opportunity to celebrate previous years of social progress, but it also reminds us of how far we have to go in the fight for gender and sexuality equality.

Pinkwashing vs practical action

Of course, not all Pride efforts and initiatives have equal impact, and if our intentions come from a place of performativity instead of commitment to change, we risk obscuring the meaning of Pride and alienating people within the community from our organisation. There is a gulf of difference between a superficial gesture and an outspoken expression of values. When superficial gestures are used to garner LGBTQ+ support while distracting from poor organisational ethics, we call this pinkwashing. When BMW changed their logo to a rainbow logo for Pride in 2022, they changed it for all regional Twitter (now X) accounts, except their account in the Middle East. BMW’s Middle Eastern office, based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, is situated in a country where homosexuality remains illegal. When an organisation refuses to support the rights of their employees in a country where their identity is considered illegal – but is happy to profit from business in that country – this obscures a disavowal of human rights through the tactical deployment of a rainbow logo, which is the epitome of pinkwashing.

LGBTQ+ inclusion is a year-round commitment: your efforts do not need to be relegated to June. Important dates recognising gender and sexuality diversity exist throughout the calendar year – and there is never a bad time to begin fostering workplace safety, security and dignity for your LGBTQ+ colleagues.

It is worth noting that in 2026, BMW has not changed any of their logos for Pride. Although this previous performativity demonstrated a low commitment to LGBTQ+ human rights, a complete lack of any acknowledgement is symptomatic of a concerning backslide in that commitment. So how do we differentiate between performativity and pinkwashing, compared to practical action?

Ultimately, what differentiates the performative from the practical is an essential question. Does it look good to outsiders, stakeholders, or customers, or does it do good for our employees and for the movement towards equal human rights? Rainbow balloons and banners may provide a veneer of progressivism to an organisation and go some way to making LGBTQ+ employees feel welcome. However, when a rainbow display is the extent of any efforts, it detracts from the meaning of Pride as a movement to rally people towards equity and dignity for gender and sexuality diverse peoples.

Committing to Pride – small, medium and large changes you can make

HR’s ability to commit to a Pride-supportive initiative may be contingent on several factors: workload, financial status, and access to free time. If your organisation is limited by any of these factors, you may feel that your individual efforts are not valuable. But this is not the case. Any effort by individuals during Pride can create change, even just by signalling you as a conscientious and compassionate ally to your LGBTQ+ peers. Below is a list of suggested actions you can take to show support this Pride depending on how much you can commit.

Low commitment

• Share around colleagues’ LGBTQ+ initiatives/projects: Those who cannot do, share! Amplifying the work of your colleagues’ LGBTQ+ projects this Pride month helps raise awareness and support for these causes. This can be as simple as sharing the cause with your team internally or, if appropriate, externally via platforms like LinkedIn.
• Engage with new LGBTQ+ content: Your own education helps the cause. Whether through TV shows, films or podcasts, engaging with LGBTQ+-led and LGBTQ+-focused media makes the unknown less intimidating. My own podcast /Queer is an archive of voices on gender and sexuality collated through 5 years of field research across nine countries- and was designed as an entry point into ‘queer history’ for both LGBTQ+ people and curious allies.
• Check in on LGBTQ+ colleagues: Pride is not always a month of celebration. For many, it may bring up feelings of rejection, anxiety or even a lack of safety. For those who are out, and thus comfortable discussing their identity, knowing that people are invested in their welfare can make a significant difference.
• Donate to LGBTQ+ charities: Organisations like Mermaids, GALOP and Just Like Us provide essential support and educational services focused on LGBTQ+ welfare and equality. If you don’t have time to spare but you do have a little cash, these organisations would be grateful for your donation.

Medium commitment

Request comprehensive LGBTQ+ inclusion training: Enabling the education of others takes the pressure off LGBTQ+ colleagues to spend time providing that education. Training can take many shapes and forms, with historical, legislative and even sociocultural focuses – just make sure it’s provided by someone with appropriate credentials and lived experience.

Share LGBTQ+ resources (documentaries, podcasts, books): If you have engaged with useful LGBTQ+ resources recently, let the world know! Book clubs, or even emailed newsletters, can be great channels for disseminating these resources.

Promote and support local LGBTQ+ charities: If your colleagues are looking to help this Pride month, consider compiling a list of charities and non-profits they can donate to – a few are mentioned above, but if you have specific interests in LGBTQ+ refugee support, gender identity research and education or support for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, you will find a number of great organisations providing these services across the UK.

High commitment

• Push for a review of LGBTQ+-inclusive workplace policies: Policy reviews often require a number of voices to ensure they are enacted. Sometimes, workplace policies around parental leave or healthcare may not be as LGBTQ+-inclusive as is necessary for a progressive workplace. Pushing for these changes can help create an inclusive workspace for all.
• Help arrange a workplace fundraising event for local LGBTQ+ charity: This can look like a standard call for donations or a workplace event, but any approaches that garner financial support for local LGBTQ+ charities can make a significant difference.
• Volunteer time as part of employee resource groups (ERGs) or with charities: Volunteering your time, be it through internal or external opportunities, is one of the greatest gifts you can give to the LGBTQ+ movement. Helping out with ERGs can ensure greater workplace safety and belonging for LGBTQ+ individuals, while charity work can move the wider cause forward through strategic, wide-reaching efforts. Whether it’s as a call or webchat handler for support helplines, as a fundraiser or administrator, many charities desperately need the time and skills of compassionate volunteers.

Closing thoughts

Remember, LGBTQ+ inclusion is a year-round commitment: your efforts do not need to be relegated to June. Important dates recognising gender and sexuality diversity exist throughout the calendar year – and there is never a bad time to begin fostering workplace safety, security and dignity for your LGBTQ+ colleagues.