My LinkedIn newsfeed has been flooded with #Pride posts these past few weeks – maybe even more so than previous years. As a gay male working in the tech industry this provokes both joy and cynicism at the same time. Joy that inclusivity is getting the attention it needs; cynicism that the posts lack intention or commitment.
I’m not writing this to diminish a company’s desire to celebrate Pride Month. I’m writing this to challenge companies to start backing their posts with intention or commitment. Because for some individuals it’s not all about a month full of joyous celebrations; it’s a reminder of the battles they face towards inclusiveness + acceptance in the workplace.
When I joined Appcast, I was immediately welcomed with an intangible, natural inclusiveness. We don’t check boxes here or do something because we know it’ll be perceived positively externally. We support each other and all our differences because we know our differences make our community and company stronger at its core.
It’s easy to tell you that Appcast carries intention and commitment behind our words, so let me give you an example. Take yourself back to this time last year. The George Floyd killing spurred much discussion . . . and yes, more posts from companies. Yes, Appcast posted similar messaging, but I’m proud that it was more than just a social media post. This decision was backed with intention. Our CEO immediately formed a task force of diverse individuals to thoughtfully plan how Appcast would react, wanting to genuinely spur positive, meaningful change. Out of this group came commitment: In addition to thoughtfully selected organizations we made donations to, we helped build a tool to raise awareness to our customers: Appcast Audience, an insights feature that allows customers to understand and track candidate diversity metrics with the goal of spurring greater organizational equality.
Pride Month has opened up a number of open and transparent conversations about how we can continue to support and improve the employee experience for our Appcastians in the LGBTQ+ community so that all feel safe bringing their whole self to work each and every day – our intention. Our commitment has begun with a donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and that is just the beginning as we explore other ways to build a wholly diverse and inclusive organization.
Appcast is by no means perfect, and we don’t assert ourselves to be. We do however commit ourselves to growth – inclusive growth, held true by one of my favorite core values of ours: “learning everyday.”
I hope everyone who chooses to celebrate and post about Pride this month takes an extra second to solidify your intention and commitment to a more inclusive and accepting community.
Oh . . . and HAPPY #PRIDE FROM APPCAST!!! We mean it ? .