Supporting Pride Month: Showing vs. Showboating

by Bailee Lance, Director of Creative Services

Pride Month is coming to a close and this year we saw more people and businesses excited to celebrate love and progress. With the growing mainstream popularity of Pride celebrations, showing your organization's commitment to inclusivity has almost become a must. But how do you do it without showboating and being over the top? What even is "showboating"? And how can your organization truly show authentic support year-round?

You may not have asked, but I am glad you are sticking around to find out!

Let's begin with the definition showboating. Showboating is a noun or adjective, meaning the action or practice of showing off. This can totally be done without malicious intent or even unintentionally! Read on to learn how this happens and how you can avoid it!

1. Being mindful of flooding social media with rainbows.

If we played a word association game, I bet rainbows would be in the first five words you associate with Pride. The rainbow is special to the LGBTQIA+ community and represents inclusion, love, and the resilience of this diverse community. But there is more to think about before you change your branding color scheme to rainbow for the month and call it a day. Remember, the queer community is not a monolith and not everyone relates to rainbow imagery. But beyond that, ask yourself: does your organization's commitment to inclusion go beyond a rainbow image?

One example we can learn from is Target. A few years ago, Target released a Pride collection and the community cheered. But after June, the Pride merch disappeared and this did not go unnoticed. In response, Target grew its branding to become the big-name darling of the LGBTQ+ community. But in the wake of backlash, negative videos, and hateful interactions with staff, Target began to show that their commitment to queer inclusion was only reliable when profit margins were. In following years, their steadily decreasing Pride section has not received the same positive response it once did from the LGBTQIA+ community.  In 2024, they announced that Pride merchandise would only be sold in some stores.

So, what can we learn from this? Mainly, if your commitment to inclusion is not authentic, people will notice. With that said, are rainbows and LGBTQ+ inclusion part of your organization's culture year-round? If so, then let those flags fly for June! But if it is an inauthentic ploy to grab the attention of a new audience, it's more likely to turn sour than not. If you are still working to incorporate LGBTQ+ inclusion as a meaningful part of your organization's culture, consider other ways you can communicate your commitment to inclusion. This could be talking about your hiring practices, board makeup, sharing input and testimonials from staff, or posting about the importance of inclusion in achieving your organization's mission. You could even share what your commitment to LGBTQ+ support looks like in action! And feel free to follow the current theme of your brand.

2. When you are being playful, who is listening and laughing?

Everyone loves a little joke, but we always need to remain respectful. Another lesson we can learn from Target is the use of quippy little saying without much thought. Because some of them ... they were not funny! When posting quotes, jokes, or even thoughts, it is important to consider who is reading, listening, or laughing at what is being said.

A great way to go about this is to ask your diverse team their opinions. Collaborating this way also shows how much you value the people working with you. Here are some guidelines to follow when seeking input:

• Always try to do this in the most respectful way possible, considering that not everyone is open to sharing all aspects of their identity. It might be Pride month, but we can't be outing people!

• Also, reminder to never be presumptuous. We do not want to assume sexuality or gender.

• Send request for input emails BCC to employees to avoid outing anyone and to allow them a space to share their opinions privately. Feel free to offer a space to express things publicly but do so considerately.

• Create a shared workspace or dropbox where people can say what they would like to see! Employees can be given the option to provide input publicly or anonymously. This doesn't just have to be for Pride month, this can be used all year and provide feedback to discuss at staff meetings.

3. Showing True, Active Allyship

To be an active ally to the LGBTQIA+ your support needs to be ongoing. Sure, June is a great time to highlight your support of the queer community. But the key is consistency.

Throughout our page and social media, you can see the work Destri and I do year-round through Grow Your Good to support LGBTQIA+ organizations. We enjoy these relationships because it is a cause we care about and know how underserved these folks often are. Recognizing our core commitment to inclusion helps us move throughout the year in a mindful way.

Here are some things to consider when planning how to make your commitment year-round:

• What are the core values of your organization? Do these values include a commitment to inclusion? If not, what steps can you take to work towards inclusion as part of your workplace culture?

• If you are in a leadership position, hold a meeting with others in leadership including key staff and board members to ensure that the organization's activities, programming, and culture are in alignment with inclusive values. Soliciting feedback from employees, clients, and community members is a great way to determine if this alignment is following through in practice.

• Participating in a day of care can be so nice! Non-profits often have running to-do lists and outside help can be a great way to knock out some of the tasks program staff can't get to. Monthly, quarterly, or however often you can, these on-site volunteer days can be a great way to give back and strengthen relationships! "But I work for a nonprofit!" That's okay! Building community isn't about waiting for someone else to help us. It's about getting in there and taking care of our neighbors when they need it.

• Support and attend events that fall in line with these inclusive values. Or even sharing these events on your social media! This will add traction and engagement for you and the event organizer!

However you, your organization, or wherever you work decides to handle these things, never forget the voice that Pride has given to so many people. As long as things are done consciously and with love, I think we will all be just fine!

For information on how Bailee can help your nonprofit with storytelling and outreach services, email bailee@growyourgood.co