June marks Pride Month – a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, recognise progress made, and reflect on the work that’s still to be done for true inclusion. But Pride isn’t only about rainbow flags or parades. It’s about standing up for dignity, respect and belonging – values that matter to everyone.
At Cottons, we proudly support a culture where people can be themselves and thrive, not just survive. Inclusion shouldn’t be performative, seasonal or surface level. Let’s continue to build a workplace that is welcoming, curious, and conscious – where differences aren’t just accepted, but appreciated.
Why Pride matters to everyone
- Inclusion benefits everyone. When people feel safe and supported to be themselves, they’re more engaged, more collaborative, and more innovative. That’s good for business – and even better for our wellbeing.
- You don’t have to be LGBTQIA+ to be an ally. Small gestures matter. Listening without judgement, calling out exclusion, and using the correct names or pronouns can mean a great deal to queer people. You don’t have to have all the answers – just an open mind.
- Understanding leads to empathy. Pride is a reminder that not everyone’s journey has been easy. Learning more about LGBTQIA+ history, challenges and resilience helps build respect across all teams, roles, and backgrounds.
🌈 The colours of the rainbow: what LGBTQIA+ stands for
Pride flags are colourful for a reason – they represent the diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community. If you’ve ever wondered what all the letters stand for, here’s a quick guide:
- L: Lesbian: A woman who is romantically or sexually attracted to other women.
- G: Gay: A person attracted to people of the same gender – often used by men, but inclusive of anyone.
- B: Bisexual: Someone attracted to more than one gender.
- T: Transgender: A person whose gender identity is different from the one assigned at birth.
- Q: Queer: An umbrella term for anyone not exclusively heterosexual or cisgender. It’s reclaimed by many but not used by all – respect is key.
- I: Intersex: A person born with physical sex traits that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female.
- A: Asexual/Aromantic/Agender: A range of identities for those who may not experience sexual or romantic attraction, or who don’t identify with any gender.
Then there’s the plus, which represents the many other identities not captured in these initials because the human experience isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here are some less-widely known-about queer identities included in the “+” symbol:
- Pansexual: Someone who is attracted to people regardless of gender. For pansexual people, gender doesn’t determine or limit attraction.
- Non-binary: A person whose gender identity doesn’t fit within the traditional categories of male or female.
- Genderfluid: A person whose gender identity may shift or change over time.
- Demisexual: Someone on the asexual spectrum who only experiences sexual attraction after forming a strong emotional connection with someone.
And many more identities that reflect the broad spectrum of human experience.
Learning what each part of LGBTQIA+ means helps us be better colleagues and allies. No one expects you to know it all — but asking questions with kindness and listening with curiosity goes a long way.
Inclusion at Cottons: everyone’s responsibility
Inclusion at Cottons isn’t a tick-box exercise – it’s something we work on every day, together. You might feel that we’re already an inclusive place to work – and that’s something to celebrate. But inclusion isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. As society evolves and our teams grow, so do the needs of the people within them.
Talking about Pride Month or diversity in general isn’t rainbow-washing when it reflects genuine values. It shows our colleagues, clients, and community that we care – and that everyone deserves to feel seen and supported.
There’s also a clear business case: diverse and inclusive companies are more innovative, more resilient, and more likely to outperform their competitors. People do their best work when they feel they belong.
We all have a role to play in making Cottons a workplace where everyone can thrive. Let’s keep talking, learning, and building a culture where inclusion is part of who we are – not just in June, but all year round.
Being an active ally
Being an ally means showing up, speaking up, and staying curious. It’s about celebrating progress, challenging assumptions, and making space for others – even when it’s uncomfortable.
What you can do to be inclusive:
- ✅ Be aware of unconscious bias – we all have it, but awareness is the first step to addressing it.
- ✅ Respect pronouns and identities, even if they’re unfamiliar to you.
- ✅ Speak up if you see or hear something that doesn’t align with our values.
- ✅ Keep learning – curiosity beats assumption.
Pride Month is a celebration, but also a call to action: to keep growing, to keep showing up, and to make space for everyone to belong.
Let’s continue building a workplace – and a world – where everyone is free to be themselves, every month of the year.