A Gallup poll released in February found that one in 10 millennials and one in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people (plus the many other sexualities and gender identities represented by the “+”) constitute an increasing percentage of the workforce. With jokes about “corporate Pride” growing in number and volume, how can employers be confident that they’re doing the right things for the right reasons? What happens when support for civil rights becomes so ingrained in American culture that it gets the meme treatment? Do tweets and banners celebrating LGBTQ+ staff ring hollow? Are we guilty of “rainbow-washing?”Ī lot is riding on the answers to these questions. As I was adding a splash of seasonal color to my own LinkedIn profile, however, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of doubt.
