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In respect for Pride Month, toth shop is recognizing friends and collaborators, stories and insightful words among those in the LGBTQ+ communities. We are proud to share your voices with our toth shop community. Some 101 today: How, when & where did the word and brand 'Pride' originate? Craig Schoonmaker, a longtime activist and member of the New York planning committee for the first Pride Parade held in June 1970, didn’t fully realize how much of an impact his words would have when he proposed “Pride” as the event’s slogan. In an interview years later, he reflected on why he chose that specific word: “The poison was shame, and the antidote was pride.” Today, Pride is embraced by millions across the globe. It’s a time to celebrate and commemorate the contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society, and cultures worldwide. For business owners, it’s a time to re-evaluate your own words and how you are communicating with your customers through copy & content. Here’s an easy start - prioritize inclusive language. Our language has the ability to normalize the ideas or beliefs of a society, and it only requires micro shifts: + Use gender neutral pronouns  + Use people-first phrases  + Not using phrases rooted in homophobia, racism, sexism, etc.   + Learn the appropriate, modern descriptors for groups For more tips, check out this blog about “writing copy in the era of conscious consumerism” penned by Steph Nagl. A link to Steph's piece is linked in comments below. 

🌈 Are You Understanding & Embracing Pride? For some, this message may hard to understand. Pride month 🌈 is not just about sexuality, and it’s not the time to say “What people do behind closed doors is none of my business”. Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Riots, which began on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. This event was a response to the police raids and harassment that LGBTQ+ individuals faced regularly. I cannot imagine being harassed or my home raided for whom I choose to love, can you❓ 📍 Pride is about making the LGBTQ+ community visible. For many years, LGBTQ+ individuals were forced to hide their true selves. Pride celebrates the courage to be open and proud of one’s identity. 📍 Pride is about advocating for equal rights and social justice. It’s a time to reflect on the progress made and recognize the work still needed to achieve true equality. 📍 Pride events foster a sense of community, providing a supportive environment where people can connect and find allies. 📍 Pride is about acknowledging the history of struggle, the victories won, and the ongoing fight against discrimination and prejudice. It’s a reminder that love is love and that everyone deserves to live authentically without fear. ✝️ For those who like to quote the Bible and are against pride 🌈, let us remember that Jesus exemplified love and acceptance. He spent time with society’s marginalized and outcasts, showing all the way of compassion and understanding. Some might say that Jesus was the biggest liberal in history because he challenged the norms of his time and advocated for radical love and inclusion. 📖 Here are some powerful verses you may wish to reflect on: -“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34 -“Judge not, that you be not judged." Matthew 7:1 🌈 Are you celebrating Pride by honoring its roots and continuing to advocate (not only in June) for a world where everyone can live with dignity and respect. #Pride #LoveIsLove #PrideMonth #UnityInDiversity #LGBTQHistory #StonewallRiots #Equality

When I was first coming out as a queer, I couldn’t wait to attend my first Pride parade. It was like a rite of passage, some kind of official ritual I needed to go through to be a true, card-carrying member of the LGBTQ+ community. Years later, as I started to understand my gender identity and came out as transgender, Pride month lost its sheen for me. Especially as I learned firsthand that, just because something is queer-friendly, doesn’t mean it is trans-friendly. I shied away from dancing in the streets with my friends and opted for smaller, more personal celebrations of Pride. Some years I didn’t celebrate at all. After all, Pride for me was every day. I didn’t need a month to celebrate it, I was finally living it. My safety became the number one concern for me. It seemed as if more and more protestors were showing up at Pride events. Their signs larger, their megaphones louder, and their hate bolder. Pride feels different now. As anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-transgender legislation has loomed in the past few years and the eradication of our community has become a political platform, I often have to choose whether I want to be safe or I want to be visible and free. That is a question I ask myself every time I step outside my house, not just in June. My relationship with Pride is complicated, but what isn’t complicated is the feelings of pride I experience every day as my authentic self. I often think back to my first Pride, where I was who I am unabashedly for the first time, in front of thousands of strangers, without a care in the world. -- SJ Janjua, https://lnkd.in/eztvAu-Y On The Inclusion Solution blog, we're exploring the question: What does Pride mean to you? 💬 Comment below with a few words of what Pride means to you, and follow along on theinclusionsolution.com as we continue to feature voices from the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Taking the leap & changing career was inevitable for me as soon as I asked myself those questions - from clothing industry (which I do love but didn't align with my values any more) - to Gut Health Coach (which is so rewarding) - everyone should ask themselves these key questions. Great post! #garmenttechnologist #clothingindustry #fabrictechnologist #guthealth #valuesaligned #findtherightjob

With Pride Month just around the corner, I'm gearing up for the usual wave of hate against the LGBTQ+ community. It's sad that during a time meant to celebrate love and acceptance, we still see so much negativity. So, let’s clear up some common questions that pop up every year: Q: "Where is my straight month?" A: When you're attacked, not allowed to marry the person you love, or scared to travel because you might be killed for being straight, then you can have a straight pride month. Until then, enjoy your everyday acceptance. Q: "Why is it shoved in my face?" A: It’s not. No one is forcing you to join in. You’re just noticing something that isn’t about you for once, and it makes you uncomfortable. Grow up. Q: "No one cares that you're gay, why do you need to go on about it?" A: Actually, people do care—in a bad way. LGBTQ+ folks are still attacked and killed for who they are. That’s why we celebrate and are proud. Get used to it. Q: "LGBTQ+ is against my religion." A: People interpret religion in many ways, and that’s okay! You can still be friendly to people even if you don’t agree with everything about them. No one is forcing you to turn gay. I'll be sure to add to this at the end of Pride, showcasing some of the comments made by some people. Until then, let's have a great month and remember—you don't need to be LGBTQ+ to take part. Come and be an ally and show your support! #Pride #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #LGBT #EqualRights #June

I bought a book recently. If you read the blurb, you might say ”but this is explaining how to talk about LGBTQ+ issues! What does it have to say about my working day?” And on the surface of it, you would be right. Although we all probably know more gay and trans people than we know. However, it applies to many other situations where you may be misunderstood communicating as well. The authors, being American, do not realize that their advice applies excellently to understanding and supporting national, cultural, and religious minorities as well - any minority, in fact. Because if you look beneath the very practical advice on how to communicate as an LGBTQ+ ally, you realize this book is about generating an understanding of how your communications partner is feeling, and generating a continued understanding on both sides. It will give you practical advice on how to avoid offending by giving ”ifpologies” and ”butpologies”, and show that you are making a genuine effort at understanding your communications partner. It is very useful in active listening and correcting predjudice. I tried it out as a racial minority (Caucasian in an otherwise wholly Japanese hospital). And the advice works even if you are in the concerned group rather than its allies. If you are interested in making a better job at communicating, even if only within your own scrum team, you might want to give it a read. ”Say the right thing. How to talk about identity, diversity and justice” by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow. ISBN 978-1-9821-8138-3

It’s important for me to be an ally not just during Pride Month, but every month, because I believe in a country that doesn’t discriminate and that treats everyone equally. Being an ally means showing up for people, particularly LGBTQ+ people, and demonstrating our support. People have the right to live and work authentically, whatever that may look like for them. I joined the Human Rights Campaign and proudly display their logo on my car to demonstrate my support, but my allyship doesn’t stop there. Love is love. I—and now my children who are 14 and 11—have several friends, loved ones, fellow classmates, colleagues and AFSP board members who identify as LGBTQ+. I want to bring my kids up in a world that not only accepts people for who they are, but also celebrates everyone’s unique traits and differences. I feel like in many ways, we have regressed in this area and it’s so disheartening to see the negativity and not only a lack of acceptance, but active hatred, against people. We all have only one life to live, so why not let others live theirs? There’s no need to judge or to berate or discriminate against someone when it truly doesn’t impact or affect your own life at all. Just be a good and compassionate human. Actively listen, sign petitions that make sense and request equal rights, show up for people and make it known that you do not tolerate hate or discrimination on any level. If we can all start doing more of this, our country and the world would be a far better place. Please take the time to do your part. #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #ally

🌈 June is Pride Month! 🌈 What exactly does that mean. Well, it’s pride month for LGBTQ plus individuals. And I can hear the questions from 1 million people. Why do you have to have a pride month? What if we had a straight pride parade or a straight pride month? I think every Month is straight pride. As an LGBTQ plus individual, I hope for the day when we don’t have to have a gay pride month. But for now, it’s a way to keep the narrative top of mind and to keep the discussions happening. A lot of people want to know why I’m so vocal about human rights and specifically LGBTQ rights. Here’s why. It’s no longer good enough to just "tolerate" people who are different than you, but you have to understand how your actions, your vote, your words can affect our lives. No one is taking rights away from you and stopping you from getting proper healthcare or being able to marry someone you love, or erasing your history. Sadly, and particularly in the state of Florida where I live, this is a common practice. I would ask you to walk a mile in my shoes. Understand the challenges that I and my fellow LGBTQ plus friends have to go through. And if you still don’t understand, then ask me. I’m committed that all people, ALL PEOPLE, are treated with dignity, compassion, and understanding. And that everyone has an opportunity to live freely and fairly in this world. That’s why we have pride month. So happy pride month y’all. Love and kindness, Lisa #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #Equality #LoveIsLove #HumanRights #LisaLDemmi 🌈❤️

Pride Month: Things Leaders Must Consider 🏳️🌈Do your LGBTQ+ employees feel SAFE? Safe at work Safe in meetings in person or virtual Safe to speak their POV Safe to use the bathroom Safe to share Safe to NOT share 🏳️🌈Do your LGBTQ+ employees feel HEARD and SEEN? Are they taken seriously? Are they considered for leadership? Are they put in a box? Are they being used? Do you know the difference between support and opportunistic PR? No matter how many rainbow logos and newsletters (which ARE important to see), just know that there’s a certain recurring fear and trauma that LGBTQ+ employees bring with them to work every day. There are experiences a “straight” identifying white male, for example, will never have or even have to think about. Remember why Pride exists: all members of minority groups have to shout louder, work harder, demand constantly just to get to the starting line. Just to get a seat at the table. Our society has come a long way, but has much much further to go. Love is love because anything less is not worth bringing into our lives. Anything less than love is wrong. Anything less than love taints and destroys. Be mindful of your words and actions. Always. Not just in June. ❤️

in the inspiring words of the infamous poet known as Vanilla Ice… Stop! Collaborate and Listen you’d have to be living under a rock not to know that June is Pride month across the UK and many companies are doing incredible work every day to ensure their colleagues who identify as LGBTQ+ are made to feel included. Allyship in its truest sense 🙏 And then there are those who Rainbow Wash. You know who you are. So today and while our political parties are scrambling to get your votes, and particularly when the Trans community is taking a hit from the powers who should be protecting them, I really encourage you to - 🌈 STOP Ask yourself why you’re promoting Pride this month. Who are you actually supporting within your organisations and more importantly how? Because for those of us in the LGBTQ+ community, the places we work and the culture of the company you are promoting to the world, can make us or break us. 🌈 COLLABORATE spend significant time with your LGBTQ+ colleagues and work with them to identify the needs which will benefit both the individual and the company. Don’t half arse it. Show up and do the work and don’t expect them to do it for you. 🌈 LISTEN when people feel safe to share their experiences they go above and beyond. Invite them into the conversations and don’t make decisions on their behalf because ‘you have a gay friend’. You’re not them, let them speak. If you have no known LGBTQ+ colleagues, chances are they either don’t feel safe to be themselves or your organisation isn’t giving the right message to recruit the diversity into it. If your genuine intention is to be inclusive then let’s have a chat and I’m happy to help. Definition: Rainbow washing is when companies signal support for the LGBTQ+ community, like adding rainbow colors to their marketing materials during Pride Month, without actually doing substantive work that helps members in the community.