All the Pride Month Resources You Never Knew You Needed

June is Pride Month, a time of celebration in the LGBTQ+ community. All this month, Association Forum’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Group is releasing content to highlight the importance of Pride Month. Whether you identify as someone within the community, or you are an ally, we hope  the list of resources below will be helpful.

If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community…

• Local to Chicago, Howard Brown Health hosts the Center on Halsted. This beautiful building sits in the heart of Lakeview and boasts resources, events, and programs to support the LGBTQ+ people of Chicagoland. The Center is the most comprehensive LGBTQ+ community center in the Midwest.
• The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has a comprehensive list of resources by category, including political, bisexual, youth, military, and more.

If your organization is looking for inclusion training…

• The Equality Institute is a boutique diversity, equity, and inclusion firm that helps organizations embed DEI into work systems and culture. Check out their free virtual Pride programming online.
• Safe Zone Project is a free online resource for LGBTQ+ awareness and ally training workshops. This is a great resource for teams to leverage, or to check out if you want to increase your own DEI competency.
• The Transgender Training Institute is a team of transgender and non-binary educators who facilitate professional development and personal growth trainings. They can provide everything from webinars to classes that are tailored to an organization or individual.

If you’re looking for a job…

• Put together by a member of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Group, here are job boards that support LGBTQ+ identities and vet postings to make sure employers are welcoming:

  • LBGT Connect 

  • Out and Equal 

  • Pride Careers 

  • Pink Jobs 

  • Brave Space Alliance 

  • Diversity Working 

  • Workplace Diversity 

  • Out Professionals 

  • LGBTQIA+ Jobs 

  • TJobBank 

If you’re looking to curl up with a book…

• “How to Be an Inclusive Leader” by Jennifer Brown explores your role in creating cultures of belonging where everyone can thrive.
• “Inclusive 360” is written by Bernadette Smith of the aforementioned Equality Institute. The book promises proven solutions for an equitable organization.

If you’re in the events and meeting planning space…

• OpenCon is a platform for creating champions of open access across disciplines. The group’s annual global conference puts out a report with key learnings from a DEI standpoint. Take a look at this report to read one group’s blueprint for making meetings more inclusive.
• Use the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association’s Supplier Diversity Network the next time you’re looking for a new vendor. 

If you’re interested in what the association community is doing…

• We’re assuming you’ve already bookmarked Association Forum’s Welcoming Environment Resources page. You haven’t? Head over and you’ll find more resources to start, continue, or enhance your DEI journey.
• Association Forum has a Welcoming Environment Certificate Program. Part 1 is live now with Parts 2-4 coming soon.
• ASAE has a page of diversity and inclusion resources, which includes its Association Inclusion Index. Easily find articles and resources on subtopics such as cultural competence, identity groups, accessibility, and more.
• ASAE’s ForesightWorks is an evidence-based research program that provides association professionals with a stream of intelligence about the changes facing the industry. Check out the ForesightWorks report on diversity and inclusion.