Pride Month 2023 — A lesbian CEO's interim report

Pride Month is just over halfway through, and rainbow flags are flying on the streets, on lanyards, and on company logos. Yet I find myself asking, where are the gay, trans, and other LGBTQIA+ community members in the workforce

Why aren't they seen in Teams meetings and recruitment interviews? Where are they in entrepreneur meetings, executive forums, and management networking? They may be there, but the discussions are very hetero and cisnormative.

An analysis based on equality barometers by the National Institute for Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health highlights that equality is a socially accepted value, against which few people are opposed; however, its practical implementation is weak, and significantly more people are against its promotion. This paradox has been poorly resolved (Teräsaho & Närvi, 2019).

I am in a fortunate position to be able to openly talk about my sexual orientation and family arrangements without shame. Of course, it is my own choice to do so, and in many situations, this choice has had consequences for how I have been treated, for example, my credibility as a company CEO.

People around the world have spoken out about the treatment they have experienced, including at Pride-ally businesses and communities. It is sad to see that not everyone is ready to accept themselves for who they are, and that is not changed by the rainbow logos on Linkkar.

At SwanIT, you grow as you are

As a lesbian and primarily a human being, I have done everything I can to ensure that our company is safe for everyone to be, work, and grow professionally just as they are. This has led to difficult conversations and tough choices at times, but the result of this has been a culture where everyone knows what we stand for, even during the recruitment phase.

How do you approach a gay person? What about someone whose gender you're not sure about? Just like anyone else! Talk about the weather or the weekend. If you feel the urge to ask about someone's gender or sexual orientation, ask yourself instead:

Why should I know? What gives me the right to know that information?

A true 'Ally' creates a safe environment for every person, where no one is allowed to be spoken of in a derogatory or disparaging manner, no one’s professional opportunities or tasks are limited based on sexuality, gender identity, appearance, or anything else, diversity is celebrated, and grievances are addressed harshly and with a low threshold.

I'll leave you with a snack and an easy Pride wash fastness test for all the companies and individuals working under the Pride flag.

• How do you deal with offensive behavior or derogatory speech? Are you allowed to call people gay or disparage trans people?

• What measures have you taken to build a truly safe environment?

• Do you see rainbow people? Are they unapologetically themselves, even at work or with your clients?

• What would you think if the next president of Finland were a transgender person?