Still a Long Way to Go: LGBTQIA+ Rights within tech

Today marks the beginning of Pride Month worldwide, commemorating the Stonewall uprising and aiming to highlight the collective struggle for equal rights within the LGBTQIA+ community. In Linköping, Sankt Kors and East Sweden Tech Women are organizing a breakfast panel in Ebbepark focused on inclusion in the workplace. The panel includes Johanna Hjalmarsson, UX designer at Consid.

– For me, it is important to share and be open and transparent about how life can be when living outside the norm, regardless of which norm it may be. Because if we don’t tell people how it is, how will they understand and learn to see things from multiple perspectives and how they can contribute or make an impact? That’s why it feels very exciting and rewarding to be part of this panel discussion, says Johanna Hjalmarsson, UX designer at Consid.

Today marks the beginning of Pride Month, a month dedicated to shining a light on the collective fight for equal rights within the LGBTQIA+ community. The first Gay Pride Liberation March, also known as Christopher Street Liberation Day March, took place in Manhattan on June 28, 1970. It served as a way to celebrate the first anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and to demand equal rights and protection for the LGBTQIA+ community.

In Linköping, the Pride Week is currently being held, where Sankt Kors and East Sweden Tech Women are organizing a breakfast panel in Ebbepark about inclusion in the workplace. The panel includes Johanna Hjalmarsson, UX designer at Consid, who shares tips based on her experiences on how to create a more accepting work environment where everyone feels welcome.

– As someone who lives outside the heteronormative framework, I need to ‘come out’ in every social context and with every person I meet. It contributes to a nearly constant stress and worry about how people will react, or if they will hold prejudices that color their perception of my professional competence or me as an individual. Therefore, I strive to raise awareness among those who do not experience this themselves, so that through their actions and choice of words, they can contribute to creating a more inclusive atmosphere for me and other LGBTQIA+ individuals, both within and outside the workplace, says Johanna Hjalmarsson.

Although progress has been made in many places worldwide regarding LGBTQIA+ rights, there are still countries where homosexuality is considered a criminal offense. LGBTQIA+ individuals are also at a higher risk of facing discrimination, harassment, neglect, rejection, or unfair treatment compared to others in society.

To shed light on the issue of equality for all and contribute to increased knowledge on how to work towards a more inclusive world, Consid will be handing over the floor to some of our employees throughout the month of June. From various perspectives, they will raise and illuminate questions and thoughts related to inclusion and LGBTQIA+ matters on our social media platforms. The aim is to foster a more open debate and give voice to multiple perspectives, thus gaining a deeper understanding of issues concerning LGBTQIA+ and equality.

– This is just a small part of a much larger effort that we actively work on at Consid every day. Ensuring that everyone feels welcome and accepted is a given for us. Hearing about others’ experiences and thoughts is a way to learn more and gain a deeper understanding of how we can create a better and more open society, workplace, and world. Our employees’ experiences and knowledge are therefore invaluable, says Peter Hellgren, CEO of Consid.

Read more about the panel discussion taking place in Linköping on June 1st.