First steps

1. Write a charter to explain your intent. Feel free to use my sample charter.
2. Get support from Human Resources—if you can. If you feel your company would be receptive to supporting such a group, ask for their support. Some companies may be sensitive to any form of employee organizing. Keep in mind that HR departments exist to protect the company first and employees second.
3. Find an executive sponsor—if you can. Approach an executive you suspect would be sympathetic to the need for an employee resource group. Having an ally in a high place will be helpful. Share the charter and ask them for a year commitment to being your executive sponsor. Feel free to share my sample executive sponsor expectations.
4. Let people know. Ask people to fill out an application form. Ask why they want to join and if they identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community or as an ally. This will help you understand the needs of queer people at your company and provide a minimum barrier to entry into the safe space.
5. Create a public and a private virtual space. This could be chat channels, email lists, or both. The private channel should be reserved for people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community who need some level of confidentiality. The public channel should be for both community members and allies. Invite people to the relevant spaces when they apply.
6. Meet! Schedule a meeting and start building the community.

Sample Charter

Primary objective

Foster an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ people that treats everyone justly according to their circumstances

Mission

• Community: Provide a space for LGBTQ+ people at [company] to meet and support each other
• Culture: Positively influence the work environment by helping members and allies be better versions of themselves
• Career: Advocate for learning and development opportunities for members. Help attract LGBTQ+ talent to the company.
• Commerce: Represent LGBTQ+ people in the course of doing business

Goals

• LGBTQ+ people at [company] know they have safe space to raise concerns
• Increased awareness of and compassion for gender identity/expression and sexual orientation equality issues
• Proportional LGBTQ+ representation employed at all levels
• Public support of the larger LGBTQ+ community from the company through representation in customer use cases and marketing, donations of money and time, and vendor selection consideration

Who can join?

Any full or part time employee, contractor, or intern at the company is welcomed. We do not discriminate in membership or participation. Participation is completely voluntary.

You can join as someone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community or as an ally (someone who supports the community, but does not identify as a member of it).

A note on allyship from The Anti-Oppression Network

Allyship is an act, not an identity. It is an active, consistent, and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluation, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group. Allyship is a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized people. It is not self-defined in that our work and efforts must be recognized by the people we seek to ally ourselves with.

Executive sponsor expectations

We expect executive sponsors to educate themselves on LGBTQ+ issues. We understand you may have limited exposure to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. That’s ok if you are willing to listen and to learn. Don’t fear saying the wrong thing. We have all had to grow in our understanding of other people’s struggles. We want to help you be a better ally, not only as an executive, but also as a person.

We expect executive sponsors to ask how the company will increase its diversity in all regards. Equality is a year-round effort. Beyond actively recruiting people from underrepresented demographics, this means creating opportunities for people who have been disenfranchised and committing to their professional development.

Many people from underrepresented demographics have had fewer opportunities to advance in their careers. Executives participate in budgeting conversations the rest of the organization does not. They are able to create the space and defend the chance for unproven people to grow in their careers. We expect you as an executive sponsor to advocate for this within your area when hiring and across the company.

We expect executive sponsors to ask what the company is doing during the moments its brand power can be used for advocacy. June is LGBTQ+ Pride month. It is when gender and sexual orientation equality issues are top-of-mind for people. This is the company’s opportunity to publicly affirm its support of LGBTQ+ people and their equal rights. A similar moment is Spirit Day in October, an annual awareness day of bullying-related suicides of queer kids. The LGBTQ+ employee resource group does not necessarily need to lead these efforts. We welcome allies joining us in our fight. We can be asked to contribute and provide feedback.

We expect executive sponsors to foster a discrimination-free and psychologically safe working environment for all people and specifically with sensitivity to LGBTQ+ issues.