How Prominent LGBTQ+ Comms Leaders are Reaching the Community During Pride and Beyond
Avoid rainbow washing, celebrate intersectionality and more.
Allison Carter, Ragan Communications
As Pride month continues to celebrate the lives, bravery and love of LGBTQ+ people across the full spectrums of gender and sexual orientation, PR Daily reached out to a variety of comms pros who are proud members of these communities. We asked them a variety of questions about best practices for reaching queer audiences year-round, how far the industry has come on issues of representation, and which organizations are doing it right.
The overall responses offer deep insights from each participant’s lived experience, but some broad takeaways every comms pro can use include:
Recognize the diversity of the LGBTQ+ diversity, including their intersectionality with other marginalized groups as well as the differences between each letter in the acronym (and don’t forget that +!).
Engage with these audiences year-round, not just during Pride.
Activate employees to ensure you’re hitting an authentic note — and make sure they’re supported within your organization.
Rainbow washing isn’t going to cut it. Back up your messaging with concrete action.
Responses have been lightly edited for length and style.When crafting messages for the LGBTQ+ consumer, what are some of the most important keys to keep in mind so that your message resonates and is authentic?