At Lionbridge, we believe that our variety and differences are part of what makes us better. Connection across cultures, geographies and languages are at the core of our business. Celebrating diversity is one of the reasons we are taking part in Pride month this year. You’ll notice that our brand logos have a different look this month, inspired by the Pride Progress flag. You may have also noticed that company employees have added pronouns to their signatures. It’s a practice we began last year. Small acts can have tremendous effects creating a welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s critically important to facilitate an inclusive environment since 75% of LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing negative interactions, according to LaTonya Wilkins, Diversity & Inclusion Change Coach. “Every single human has a need to belong,” Wilkins told us during an allyship workshop for Lionbridge employees. “What’s the opposite of belonging? Exclusion. And when we feel excluded it’s like having physical pain.” The workshop was one way we celebrated Pride month and explored how we can further cultivate an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ Lions. During the session, Wilkins outlined steps we can take to become stronger allies. These steps include deliberately breaking bias, using empathy and good listening skills to develop deep connections, and advocating for things that matter to the LGBTQ+ community. Importantly, she urged all of us to build authentic relationships with people who are different from ourselves. Over the past year, it has become common practice for Lions to use personal pronouns, such as she/her/hers, he/him/his, or they/them/theirs, in email signatures to show respect for all. Using pronouns signals that it’s acceptable to have pronouns that are not cis-related, according to Wilkins. It also lets people know they can come out, she said. For guidance on how to normalize the sharing of pronouns in the workplace and introduce gender-neutral pronouns, we turned to Out & Equal and NPR. We also shared basic allyship guides to help our team show up for the LGTBQ+ community in the office. The guides encourage people to find commonalities when conversing, validate another person’s perspective on gender identity, and ask a member of the LGBTQ+ community for guidance when there are questions, among other suggestions. Moreover, we created an online forum for a queer affinity group. Given the ongoing virtual nature of the workplace, we want to make sure our LGBTQ+ employees have a place to gather even if they’re not in the office. Providing a more organized online community is especially important for our Lions who cannot safely come out in their cities or to their families. And we continue to offer insurance that covers services like hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgeries so members of our Lionbridge family can be more comfortable in their own bodies. Several of our Lions who are out previously came together for an internal roundtable to discuss the intricacies of being queer at work and how it has impacted their career. All four participants offered to be resources to others in the company, regardless of whether they are ready or able to come out or not. Our thanks to them for the willingness to share their time and stories! While Lionbridge leadership continually implements companywide initiatives to help foster a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ Lions, Wilkins underscores the great power that lies within each individual to be an effective ally. “Stick your neck out when things happen. You could go to your colleague and say, ‘Hey, I’m here to listen if you need anything,’ ” Wilkins says. “You matter [when it comes to] being an ally. You matter more than anyone else.” Like coming out, building a more inclusive community is not a singular event but an ongoing process. We look forward to learning how to be better as individual Lions and as a Pride. Want to be part of that? Take a look at our open positions.