Pride Month, observed in June, focuses on acknowledging, celebrating, and supporting the progress and challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. 2025 launches without the usual presidential proclamation but instead with a theme of courage and resilience, dubbed "These Colors Don't Run" by the Human Rights Campaign. The slogan pays homage to the courage shown during the Stonewall Riots in 1969, a pivotal milestone in the recognition of gay rights. This article will highlight some of the challenges facing the community that impact the workplace and the role of the inclusive leader. Additionally, I will outline available resources that inclusive leaders can leverage to bolster and weather the ongoing diversity and inclusion storms.

Current Challenges For LGBTQ+ Communities

Gallup research cites that in 2025, 9.3% of adults in the United States identify as LGBTQ+. Additionally, Generation Z and Millennials have a higher concentration of those who identify as LGBTQ+. These are important facts for inclusive leaders to keep in mind as they continue their commitments to lead inclusively in the workplace.

Under Donald Trump's leadership, there are increased actions (i.e., firing prominent transgender leaders, modification of healthcare support for transgender people, etc.) impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Executive Order 14168, 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government issued in January 2025, focused on restricting gender identification to male/female is a contradiction to the expansion of the LGBTQ+ community to create more inclusion in this area. It took some time to build awareness around pronoun usage, for example. These times may adjust the education offerings available to build cultural competencies.

Another is a focus on removing traces of the community's history and impact. These challenges carry over to the workplace, which, in itself, is ebbing and flowing around the issue of inclusion. We saw an uptick in inclusion in 2020, with an increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now, we are experiencing a setback that undoubtedly impacts how the workplace community supports the LGBTQ+ community. Participants and allies note these challenges and have expectations around leadership handling in these areas. As an inclusive leader, it's worth noting the intentional actions necessary to support these communities during these challenging times.

Pride Month Support for Inclusive Leaders

Tap Into Available Resources:

Stay informed about the latest developments and key issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Credible facts are available through various sources.

1. The Human Rights Foundation protects over 24 million workers and provides reports on insights into inclusive policies and practices for the LGBTQ community.
2. The Inclusion Allies Coalition offers webinars on topics including gender.
3. The Trevor Project provides education and advocacy resources on LGBTQ+-related issues.
4. The American Civil Liberties Union provides education on LGBTQ rights.

Reimagine Support:

Inclusive Leaders Must Determine What Support Looks Like in 2025. Is it enrolling in continuing education, showing up to advocate for legislation and funding, and allyship to support the community? Inclusive Leaders can get creative with education consumption. Remember, education comes in various forms. Recently, on an American Airlines flight, I noticed content integrated to make it easy to learn more about LGBTQ+ communities.

As Pride Month comes to a close, let's remember how much can change in a year. More than June is needed to support LGBTQ+ communities. Our leadership is critical to maintaining an inclusive workplace in the long term.