5 Things / just start
One of the questions I get most often is where I source the 5 Things stories...here's a quick video. A common theme in stories I've read lately is "performative allyship." The topic has come up because of Pride month and the anniversary of George Floyd's murder.
Performative allyship is when there's a disconnect between what an organization (or a person) says publicly about inclusion, and what they actually do internally (including with donations). It's considered hypocrisy. An example of this is a company that turns their logo rainbow colors for Pride month but also donates to anti-LGBTQ organizations and political leaders.
Because I'm an optimist and I know that equity is a marathon, not a sprint, my general opinion on performative allyship is "You've got to start somewhere." It's the role of people like me and companies like Equality Institute to help organizations move from performative to proactive. For many organizations, turning their logo rainbow-colored is a HUGE first step!
Just get started. Then keep going. And always have systems for accountability.
Here are some good vibes I found this week:
JCPenny, my late mom's favorite store, will now start carrying adaptive fashions. Adaptive clothing is designed to be inclusive of people with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder, but is only now starting to reach mass market distribution. This matters because inclusion means all - and for many, stylish clothing has been out of reach.
Several major companies shut down for a week to give their employees time to recover from pandemic burnout. LinkedIn, Hootsuite, and Bumble are among the companies that prioritized employee wellbeing when announcing the PTO. This matters because it lets employees know they're valued, and in some small way puts people over profits.
Instagram has a new feature allowing Black-owned businesses to label and tag themselves as a way to increase visibility to potential consumers. They'll also show up in the Instagram marketplace. This matters because access to additional exposure can potentially increase the revenues of these businesses.
Zoom allows users to share their pronouns via a simple profile edit. Users can set their pronouns to automatically appear during each meet, or be asked every time to share. This allows users to be more selective in when they choose to share and may encourage more sharing. This matters to gender nonconforming folks and the many, many people who don't use gendered pronouns.
And finally, Lufthansa Airlines informed flight attendants that passengers will no longer be greeted as "Ladies and Gentlemen" but as "guests". Or flight attendants can say "Good morning here on board!" This matters because this greeting is inclusive of all genders - and there are more than two! I predict this will begin to be the standard in just a few years.
Image by Brandy Kennedy