|
|
|
Victoria here, Girlboss’ executive editor. 👋 |
At Girlboss, we talk a lot about building better workplaces—and that has to include workplaces where LGBTQ+ employees feel protected, respected, and supported all year long. 🫂 So today, we’re digging into what meaningful allyship actually looks like (not just changing your logo to rainbow colors for a few days! 🙄), with practical guidance from a trusted DEI expert. |
Other stuff the Girlboss team is yapping about on Slack: |
|
💼 Job of the day: #BookTok girlies, Book of the Month is hiring a Head of Social ($100K - $250K) to lead social strategy across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and emerging platforms. Being chronically online and obsessed with commercial fiction is a requirement. 📚 |
|
|
1440 |
|
4.5 Million Readers Already Start Their Mornings This Way |
Between back-to-back meetings, an overflowing inbox, and everything else on your plate, keeping up with what's actually happening in the world can feel like one more thing you don't have time for. But 1440 makes it super easy. |
Every morning, real human editors scan 100+ trusted sources and send one clean, unbiased newsletter in your inbox—politics, business, science, culture, all covered. No opinions or clickbait headlines. Just everything you actually need to know. |
Did we mention it only takes five minutes to read? 🤩 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
How to Support Your LGBTQ+ Coworkers (When It Feels Like Everything’s on Fire)
|
The dilemma: “I want to be a better advocate for my LGBTQ+ coworkers, especially during Pride Month. But 2026 feels heavy… with DEI rollbacks, anti-trans laws, and rising backlash, I don’t even know what real support looks like anymore.” |
The answer: Dr. Sarah Saska, co-founder and CEO of Feminuity, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm. |
You are not imagining it. In the past three years, the U.S. has introduced over 600 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, many targeting trans and non-binary people. In Canada, similar efforts are unfolding under different names, including restrictions on education, healthcare, and public expression. |
At work, DEI programs are being quietly scaled back. Employee resource groups (ERGs) are dissolving. Entire communities are being erased from policies, documents, and internal websites. Many LGBTQ+ employees are stepping back from visibility, not because they have changed, but because the risk feels too high. |
So, if you feel unsure about how to show up this Pride, you’re not alone. |
Safety, not slogans |
Visibility is not the same as safety. Some people cannot safely be out at work, online, or even with their own teams. |
More than one in three LGBTQ+ workers feel less safe being out at work than they did five years ago. Many are choosing not to disclose, not because they are hiding, but because safety was never guaranteed. So: |
Don’t assume anyone’s identity based on how they look, dress, or love. Don’t pressure people to disclose or speak “on behalf of the community.” Don’t require people to share pronouns, but make space for those who want to. Speak up when something harmful is said, even if no one is “out” in the room. |
But safety does not just depend on who is in the room. It depends on the systems behind the scenes.
Systems, not symbols |
Safety doesn’t happen by accident. It’s shaped by the systems we build, like hiring, benefits, performance reviews, and conflict response. All of it matters. |
Even as public DEI goals fade under pressure, much of the work continues: 96% of rated employers offer trans-inclusive healthcare, and 89% embed equity into their hiring and performance practices. |
Ask yourself: |
Do promotion paths reflect the realities of racialized trans and non-binary employees, or reward only those who “fit in?” Do your benefits truly support queer parents, chosen families, and access to gender-affirming care, or just say they do? When harm happens, do HR processes protect LGBTQ+ employees or prioritize avoiding conflict? |
For more on systems that support LGBTQ+ teams, learn more here.
Receipts, not rainbows
Systems don’t maintain themselves. Without accountability, equity work stalls, slides back, or disappears quietly. Ask yourself: |
Is your company celebrating Pride while donating to politicians who undermine LGBTQ+ rights? Are inclusive policies and equity roles being defended, or quietly rolled back when pressure hits? Is LGBTQ+ support built into how your workplace operates, or does it disappear after June? |
Even strong workplace systems need upkeep. Staying ready means understanding the biggest shifts shaping equity at work today—from AI and global hiring to workforce polarization and skill-building.
Final thoughts |
Pride began as a protest, led by Black and Brown trans women like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who demanded survival, safety, and structural change. |
In 2026, those demands still stand. The rise in anti-trans laws is not separate from DEI rollbacks. Book bans and drag bans are not separate from equity team layoffs. It is all connected. |
So instead of asking how to celebrate Pride this year, ask: Who gets to be safe here? Then take action that answers it clearly, not conveniently. |
Pride isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, accountable, and brave enough to keep showing up long after June ends. |
Got a work problem you need help with? Drop it here, and the answer to your question could be featured in an upcoming newsletter. 📬 |
|
|
|
 |
What Team Girlboss has been loving lately. |
|
🏢 If you’re having Off Campus withdrawals (same), Not Suitable for Work, Mindy Kaling’s new Hulu sitcom, has arrived right on time. It follows a group of 20-somethings in NYC trying to figure out work, dating, and why being young and employed is so deeply unserious. |
😴 What if your chronic fatigue is trying to tell you something? CPAP.com’s at-home sleep test lets you check for sleep apnea from your own bed, with results reviewed by a licensed sleep doctor in about a week. Don’t sleep on this!* |
🪒 Executive Editor Victoria stresses a lot less about shaving her bikini line thanks to this fan-fave ingrown hair oil from Bushbalm (20% off). Bye-bye, razor burn and that annoying post-shave itch. |
🗄️ Need a makeshift TV stand or extra storage in your home office? Social Media Manager Cheska picked up these budget-friendly IKEA cabinets over the weekend, and she loves ‘em! |
🍒 If Victoria could wear one bra for the rest of her life, it would be this one from Embrace. She’s wearing it right now as she types this… Not only is it super soft and breathable, but it also has a hook in the back that converts it into a racerback and no tags. Genius! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
*This link is sponsored. Apply to advertise in Girlboss Daily here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you buy something through our links, Girlboss may earn an affiliate commission. You’re receiving this email because you signed up to join the Girlboss community. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
