Diversity is a 24/7 job

Pride month is a good opportunity for companies to join the diversity dialogue, promote target oriented products and generate positive buzz on social media. But diversity and pride are not just seasonal issues. For several queer minorities, being recognized as equal citizens and workers is way harder than it was to achieve their recognition as economically relevant consumers. It’s a 24/7 struggle.

This year the big gatherings to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their fight for equal rights – the Pride parades – won’t be happening due to the coronavirus pandemic. But we can’t forget why those public demonstrations exist in first place. We can’t forget why queer people put themselves out there and celebrate their pride. My generation experienced the transition from a culture with virtually no positive representation of queer people to the fortunate boom of diversity we see blooming today. A transition that still scares people who are afraid of giving up their privileges in return of a more fair and colorful society.

As creatives, content producers and image makers, we illustrators, advertising & communication professionals have the obligation of visually making diversity – of genders, orientations, colors, cultures or creed – a norm and not an exception. It’s our job to push outdated boundaries, educate clients and transform our role in the society from purely commercial to socially relevant, without being in any aspect less lucrative.

It’s everyone job to make diversity normal. I would be proud if you follow me:

Clients and Advertising Agencies

In order to be properly represented in the media, socially neglected groups such as LGBTQIA+ minorities need representation in companies. Actually, more than representation: qualified representation. Proper diversity is way more than filling the quota, but a matter of adjusting businesses to our times. 

Companies should aim for a diverse and socially conscious staff on all proficiency levels and, most importantly, on decision-making positions. Not even to raise flags on relevant occasions, but more to provide insider input on diversity issues from their own socially-aware citizen and consumer point of view on a daily basis. How many “diplomatic crisis” companies or advertising agencies could have avoided with this kind of qualified input? How much money spent on crisis management after a social media shitstorm could have been saved? How many racist, homophobic or sexist campaigns and ideas could have been questioned before seeing the light of day by a more diverse board of creative directors? How many brands could have been spared from losing loyal clients after unfortunate statements being made public? (I’m looking at you, Barilla). If achieving those dream-colorful-C-level-teams is not possible in the short-term, businesses should at least hire or consult with qualified advisors and specialists on such topics on a regular basis (beyond the sphere of their legal departments). 

Companies are groups of people negotiating with other people while playing a huge role in building human culture. In the age of information, even capitalists need human-centered advisors.

Diverse Professionals

Although no one is asking you to be an open book regarding your personal life in your professional environment – privacy is a sensitive issue, specially in Germany, where I live and work – embrace what makes you diverse in your work and wear your own experience as an all-purpose suit. Understand your privileges – if you have any (you most certainly do) – and put them to use for those who can’t. Bring up socially relevant issues, even if it might be frustrating sometimes. It took me time to realize how my queer experience and my mixed South American heritage are a valuable asset in my professional baggage. 

Imagine how much easier we can make it for future generations to get in those decision-making positions just by standing by the values of a diverse society while performing our best in our respective areas.

News and Media Outlets

A lot of discriminatory writing comes to attention only when compared to other texts of the same nature involving only white/normative people. Tell the truth about discrimination and hate crimes paying attention to how you phrase stuff. 

Call out racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist or any other discriminatory attitude (specially coming from companies) as they are: not “allegedly”, just discriminatory. Release this burden from activists and make companies accountable for their public expressions so they might feel compelled to start improving themselves. 

And last, but not least: take control of your comment sessions and don’t let them become a self-feeding pot of bigotry and ignorance as we see as a standard in my homeland Brazil. Understand your responsibility and follow up on your reports with an analytic approach, moderating hate and misinformation. You are the guardians and main beneficiaries of freedom of speech, so I assume you understand the implications of hate speech being empowered by simply being overseen, or how far bullies can go by not being confronted with arguments, information and the facts that you hold. How you approach diversity today will be imprinted in your DNA forever.

LGBTQIA+ Movements

One thing is certain for us: the fight of queer minorities for acceptance is never-ending. Even if discriminatory laws cease to exist and equal rights are recognized all around the Globe, no right must ever be taken for granted, as we have been learning. There will always be ignorance and fear of diversity somewhere, and people taking advantage of that fear to gain power. 

Here’s a challenge for ourselves: how do we overcome our inclusivity flaws without creating more communication noise in our already so complex multi-cause? How do we unify ourselves under the spectrum of gender and sexual equality at the same time elevating the racial, cultural and creed diversity within our movements, without fragmenting ourselves or crashing with other equally urgent causes? 

There are lots of questions we need to answer by ourselves. No one else will. With or without support of the establishment, we need to remain a community. No matter how long our fight for respect and equality takes, we must be there for each other. We need to let each other know that taking the streets or not, WE’RE HERE. We have always been anyway.

(I dedicate this first post to all trans and queer people that ignited pride. To those who risked or lost their lives fighting for diversity. Thank you ∞. We’re still here.)