Why meaningful support for LGBTQIA+ colleagues needs to go beyond June
Every June, we see a familiar wave of activity. Rainbow logos appear, flags are raised, and organisations post messages of support for Pride. Visibility like this can be powerful but it’s also easy.
What’s harder is showing up the rest of the year. Creating real, lasting change. And making sure LGBTQIA+ colleagues feel safe, respected and included in your workplace long after the parades have ended.
That’s where allyship comes in. And not just the kind you talk about but the kind you fund, prioritise, and commit to.
The moments that bring it home
Every time I go to London Pride, I have an experience that stays with me. One year, I had a little rainbow flag with me on the bus and someone shouted insults at me. A stark reminder that visibility can still invite hostility.
But then there are quieter moments, like watching two elderly men walk through Soho holding hands. I remember wondering what they’d lived through. How many years they’d had to hide who they were. And how, yes, things have changed but there’s still such a long way to go.
Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a protest. It’s a reminder that allyship can’t be performative. It has to be felt. Funded. Measured.
What does performative allyship look like?
It’s when organisations post about Pride but ignore concerns from LGBTQIA+ staff. When the logo changes but the culture doesn’t. When support is visible for a month, then disappears without trace.
At best, it’s a missed opportunity. At worst, it’s harmful. Because it suggests that saying the right thing is enough and it isn’t.
So what does real allyship look like in practice?
1. Back it with budget
If your organisation has an LGBTQIA+ network or ERG, are you giving them the resources to do their work well? Or is it all being done off the side of someone’s desk?
Support shouldn’t just be symbolic. It means:
- A proper budget
- Paid time to lead and plan activities
- Access to wellbeing support, speakers, and events
Especially for trans and non-binary colleagues, meaningful funding can make a huge difference to feeling included at work.
📘 We’ve put together a free Trans Inclusion Guide with practical steps to help you build a more inclusive culture. Feel free to share it with your teams.
2. Educate with intention
Allyship starts with awareness but it doesn’t stop there. We often find that senior leaders want to do the right thing but don’t always know where to begin.
That’s why ongoing education matters not just a lunch and learn in June, but real learning woven into leadership development, values, and team culture.
Training should cover:
- Trans inclusion and gender identity
- Recognising and responding to microaggressions
- How bias can show up in decisions around recruitment, progression and performance
No one’s expected to be perfect. But we are expected to be open, and to learn.
3. Measure what matters
If inclusion isn’t part of your DE&I strategy, it risks being forgotten.
That doesn’t mean chasing quotas or collecting data that people don’t feel safe sharing. But it does mean asking the right questions:
- Do LGBTQIA+ staff feel safe and supported here?
- Are our policies inclusive and up to date?
- Do we track uptake of things like gender-neutral parental leave or support for staff transitioning at work?
It also means making leaders accountable. Inclusion should be part of how we define success not just a nice-to-have.
Pride is a moment. Allyship is a practice.
The truth is, showing up for Pride once a year is easy. The real work is in what you do next. The conversations you start. The policies you review. The space you create.
Because allyship isn’t about looking inclusive it’s about being inclusive. And that takes action.
If your organisation is ready to move beyond the rainbow, we’re here to help. From leadership workshops and policy reviews to ERG support and strategy development, we work with organisations that want to build cultures where everyone feels respected 365 days a year. Email hello@telljane.co.uk to discover more, we’d love to chat.
And if you’re looking for somewhere to start, download our Trans Inclusion Guide, a free resource for practical, thoughtful inclusion.
