Pride Month wellness
Work is stressful enough without the added emotional weight of having to deny one of the most fundamental aspects of who you are. Ongoing, untreated stress has a plethora of documented damaging health effects.
This Pride Month, let’s all work to ensure that DSHS helps everyone feel welcome to bring their authentic selves to work every day.
If you are a straight cisgender person, Pride Month is a good time to recognize your privilege and prejudices and remember — or learn — that you can be part of making your workplace healthier and more pleasant for everyone by becoming an ally to your LGBTQIA colleagues.
Need help?
Here are some tips:
- Normalize asking which pronouns people prefer and give your preferred pronouns when meeting someone for the first time.
- Don’t ask other people to educate you about gender identity and sexual orientation. Use the internet to find the answers to your questions.
- Understand that issues related to oppression are everyone’s concern, not just the concern of those who are the targets of oppression.
- Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Acknowledge and apologize for mistakes; learn from them, but do not retreat.
Here are some resources:
http://lgbtq2stoolkit.learningcommunity.ca/being-an-ally/
https://hbr.org/2020/03/creating-a-trans-inclusive-workplace
https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/ally-tips
Stay safe and be kind. Happy Pride Month!