As many of you know, June is traditionally Pride month. Pride celebrations and events recognize the gains the LGBTQ+ movement has made since the Stonewall uprising in 1969, and advocate for continuing advancement of, LGBTQ+ rights and protections.

Many members of the community cringe at corporate acknowledgements of Pride. When corporations change their logos to rainbow colors, post Pride-themed messages, or march in Pride parades, some view these actions as cynical at best or hypocritical at worst. Some people find deep irony in what they see as the mainstreaming and commoditization of an event that sprang from protests against violence and discrimination against gays, lesbians, transgender individuals by the “Establishment.” And while many people laud companies for openly expressing support for the LGBTQ+ community,  others decry their Pride-month actions as performative.

At Tucker Ellis, we believe it is more important to actually perform than to be performative. Yes, we have Pride events in June. But our thriving LGBTQ+ employee resource group hosts educational and social events throughout the year. We frequently update the Tucker Ellis team on legal and legislative developments that affect the LGBTQ+ community. And we often include clients in our educational programming and social events, so they can learn from our group’s efforts as well. The needs and concerns of our LGBTQ+ employees, their families, and our clients do not suddenly disappear on July 1. And neither does our commitment to them.

So, happy Pride from Tucker Ellis. This month, and every month.

– Brian Brookey, lgbTE Chair