Throughout the year, social media plays a pivotal role in helping the LGBTQ+ community spread awareness, share stories and connect with other community members.

But this month, we are seeing these platforms pull out all of the stops to help achieve what Pride Month is about — generating and showing pride for the LGBTQ+ community.

Here to discuss how social media platforms are getting into the spirit of '#PrideMonth' is media update’s Lara Smit.

Let's get into the digital pride festivities:

TikTok

LGBTQ+ TikTok trailblazers

TikTok kicked off Pride Month by announcing its 2022 LGBTQ+ TikTok Trailblazers — a group of 12 individuals chosen by the platform to be its LGBTQ+ representatives.

According to this announcement, these trailblazers were chosen as creators that motivate awareness and drive meaningful change for their community.

By choosing these representatives, the platform gives these LGBTQ+ role models and leaders the recognition that they deserve for using the power of creativity to forge paths and uplift their community. Additionally, they emphasise a need for people from this community to share their stories and support their community members.

A user's guide to LA Pride

This year, TikTok was the official presenting sponsor of the LA Pride Parade and the LA Pride in the Park Music Festival. Here, the platform gave its users exclusive experiences with a TikTok LIVE series from behind-the-scenes, as well as from the ground, during these events. Talk about the VIP experience.

Through this LIVE streaming, users from across the world could attend these pride events. Therefore, these individuals could still feel included in events that commemorate their community despite their location. How great is that?

Placing focus on LGBTQ+ businesses

Using the hashtag '#LGBTQBusiness' and its TikTok For Business and TikTok Small Business channels, TikTok is also drawing focus on to LGBTQ+ businesses and SMBs this Pride Month.

Through these channels these business owners and employees can:
  • share stories about their career journeys
  • inform people about their products and services
  • give advice to other community members starting a career or business, and
  • spread awareness for any initiatives that their businesses are a part of.
By giving attention to these businesses and SMBs, TikTok is not only helping these businesses to promote themselves but is also assisting budding entrepreneurs with the guidance and support of their community. Amazing.

Pride playlists

No celebration is complete without some music. Users can tune into TikTok's sound page to listen to a range of LGBTQ+ artists to bring their pride parties to the next level.

With its '#PrideMusic' playlists, the platform aims to give prominence to musicians who use their voices to celebrate, raise awareness for and inspire members of their community.

By doing this, the platform really helps honour the LGBTQ+ community with music that represents and celebrates their identities.

Meta

Creating safe immersive spaces

Meta announced that as a part of their Metaverse Culture Series it are looking at ways that it can ensure that the metaverse will be an inclusive and safe space for LGBTQ+ members.

The platform stated that it was doing this by conversing with community members about what is required for immersive experiences to be more equitable. Additionally, it said that it is working on the customisation of these spaces for LGBTQ+ members.

Released new Pride expression tools 

Meta's release of Pride-themed avatars allows users to show off their digital representatives in full pride gear on their Facebook stories and Messenger chats.

But that's not all!

Your Messenger chats have never looked this colourful with Meta's new Pride Chat theme.

Additionally, Instagram users can customise their photos while they take them by applying new Pride stickers. These were created in partnership with LGBTQ+ artists Shane´e Benjamin and Wednesday Holmes. Now everyone can give their photos some Pride pizzazz!

LGBTQ+ Safety Center Hub

An important feature that Meta has introduced this month is its LGBTQ+ Safety Center Hub on Facebook.

This hub helps create a safe digital environment for this community through safety features like:
  • resources to stop bullying and harassment
  • instructions on how to improve account security, and
  • guidelines for reporting harmful content.
Features like these play an essential part in making LGBTQ+ members feel comfortable and safe in virtual spaces — allowing them to freely interact and produce content without doubt or fear.

Supporting LGBTQ+ creators

Meta will be hosting an in-person event called Pride Skate day this month dedicated to young skate designers. The event is aimed at helping to promote young LGBTQ+ creators in the skate community.

What's more, is that Meta will play host to Pride Gaming in Brazil. This event will broadcast content of 30 LGBTQ+ gaming creators live on Facebook Gaming.

Another way that Meta will be promoting LGBTQ+ creators is through renewing '#OrgulhoFamília', a Brazillian series that focuses on love in this community.

By supporting these creators, Meta creates a spotlight for them and allows them to show off their skills on a larger scale. This plays an essential role in boosting their creativity and self-confidence. Additionally, it motivates creators in this space to continue producing and improving their creative content.

Promoting LGBTQ+ businesses

Meta will be promoting LGBTQ+-owned businesses and SMBs by highlighting their content.

Firstly, it released the Global LGBTQ+ Cultural Guide with the intent of informing people as to how they can support this community.

Secondly, it will be hosting a live shopping event called '#shopforPride'. Here, items from LGBTQ+ businesses will be promoted and sold on @instagramforbusiness.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has been joining the Pride discussion with a series of blogs that discuss Pride in a corporate space.

Let's talk about Pride the right way

At the end of May, LinkedIn released a blog piece focused on educating brands on how they should talk about Pride. The blog warns brands against being disingenuous with their approach to Pride and advises them to market in a way that is respectful, informed, sensitive and authentic to the LGBTQ+ community.

The piece also gives insights into:
  • the use of Pride keywords by brands
  • which industries are using these keywords
  • the regions from which the engagement of these keywords are coming from
  • the position of company members who engage with Pride content, and
  • what are the most engaged Pride-related hashtags are.
Through these insights, the platform plays an essential role in guiding businesses to approach Pride conversations in a better way, while supporting and respecting the LGBTQ+ community.

How to create an LGBTQ+ friendly workplace

In another blog, LinkedIn talks about the state of the LGBTQ+ workforce in 2022.

This piece looks at workplace statistics regarding members of this community and shares insights into how the workplace affects them.

By giving these insights, the article educates and spreads awareness about how members of this community feel inside their work environments. Additionally, it encourages workers and employers to create a more inclusive workplace for these individuals.

What are your favourite features that these social media platforms have introduced this pride month? Let us know in the comments.

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Want to learn more about inclusivity in the social media space? Then be sure to read our article on The importance of inclusivity and representation on social media.
*Image courtesy of Canva