June is Pride month. It's a time to come together in solidarity and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people. It's a time to reflect on how far the movement has come, and to keep up the momentum pushing towards equality.
The legal and social acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people has undoubtedly come on in leaps and bounds since the days of criminalisation and social exclusion. But Pride month remains critically important because there is still work to be done. According to research by the charity Stonewall, more than a third of LGBTQIA+ people have hidden their identities at work for fear of discrimination and a quarter of trans people have experienced homelessness.
Just like Pride, the core of the Living Wage movement is about creating a more just society - one in which all people have value and are able to live with dignity. So this Pride month, we're putting the spotlight on three Living Wage Employers who are putting those values into action championing the Living Wage and the LGBTQIA+ movement.
Devon's Proud2Be are a grassroots and user-led social enterprise that supports LGBTQIA+ people to lead empowered, fulfilled and authentic lives. They campaign, deliver training and facilitate a youth project, a volunteer programme, and peer support groups and community events throughout the year.
"Part of what we do at Proud2Be is to encourage others to think about the messages they send out into the world with their actions. We believe that paying someone a Living Wage sends an important message to current and future employees; that they are and will be valued. We want to live in a world where all people can afford a decent standard of living and we hope that by committing to paying people a Living Wage, we play a small part in making this a reality someday. We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer."
Time for Inclusive Education, Scotland
Scotland's multi-award winning LGBT Inclusive Education charity aims to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools with LGBT Inclusive Education. They work with teachers and national stakeholders to provide free pupil workshops and teacher training in schools, and develop high quality curriculum materials.
"Becoming a Living Wage accredited employer was of vital importance to us. Simply put, it's about who we are, and a fundamental part of how we build an organisation that is true to the ethics that underpin everything that TIE is, and always has been."
Green Kitchen is a 100% vegan cafe in Brighton offering traditional meat-free breakfast options. The cafe was set up in 2016 by wife and wife team, Katie and Catherine, with the idea of creating a vegan cafe, which is both dog and LGBTQIA+ friendly.
"As a queer-owned and run vegan business, we firmly believe in a just and fair way of living at all levels of our society. The cost of living compared with wages, particularly in Brighton, makes it hard for people to exist much more than getting by, which is de-valuing and unfair. We are committed to paying our staff the Living Wage in recognition of the contribution they make to our business and as such we benefit from a fabulously committed and engaged team."