Pride is more than changing your profile photo for June. I see it time and time again where businesses change their profile photos to a rainbow version for the month of June, but don’t actually show up as an ally when it matters.

Recently, I posted on my business and personal social media accounts about my strong feelings of support for the trans community in light of the EHRC legislation happening in Europe right now.

I reiterated my stance that I support the trans community against the oppression that is currently being forced upon them in “my” name – their rights are being taken away from them in the interest of caring for cisgender women. I don’t agree with it, and I made my thoughts known.

Sure enough, you can bet that this post attracted a troll.

Someone who went out of their way to be vicious, hurtful and spiteful to my trans friends who commented in support of my post and then the hate was directed at me. Both publicly and privately on social media through direct messages and comments.

It wasn’t a nice feeling to read those comments. I felt bad that I had attracted that hatred, and some of my trans friends had faced it on my supportive post. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But I didn’t take the post down. I didn’t back down in my support of the trans community because of the vitriol that was being spewed out by the troll. I went back with firmness, telling them that their hatred was not welcome on my page.

Because, when all is said and done, I wanted to show that my support was stronger than some unknown person’s hatred and that there would always be a space in my life and business for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

I wanted to show it far stronger and more openly than simply changing my profile photos to have a pride flag in the background of them.

Changing your profile photo for the month of Pride (June) is great, but showing your support on social media for the LGBTQIA+ community is far stronger.

After dealing with the troll and putting out a subsequent post on social media about why I had posted in the first place, I also went on my podcast with the amazing Verity Curryer to talk about Values, Visibility and Difficult Conversations. We discussed at length what it means to be visible with our values when it comes to business.

Now, yes, I could have put a pride flag on my social media profiles to show my support and inclusivity of people from the LGBTQIA+ community, but words and actions will always be far more powerful.

Since I put the posts up, and since the podcast episode has come out, I have had more enquiries from the LGBTQIA+ community come through to my inbox. I have had messages that people are more willing to work and talk to me because they feel safe and included with me and my services.

Because I did more than follow a trend in saying that I support Pride. I embodied it and proved my support to the community.

Pride is about more than a rainbow flag.

Pride is about recognising the difficulties faced by those in the LGBTQIA+ community and showing that you stand with them.

If you are a business owner and reading this, thinking that to show your inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community, you only need to put a rainbow on your social media pages this month, you need to do more to show your values.

Stop worrying about the people, it will put off working with you when you show your values and support of something. Because, yes, it will put off the people who don’t share your values, but did you really want to work with them anyway?

I don’t want to work with people like the troll my post attracted. I would far rather work with people who share my value set, and I am only going to find those people by openly talking about my values on social media and why they matter to me.

Posting about your values on social media will attract the customers you want to work with. So do it. Particularly when there is a prime opportunity to do so, like Pride Month.

And if you need more help in telling your story and showing your values on social media, book a call with me today and find out how I can help.