MRSpride: Challenge Yourself This Pride Month and Beyond
26 June 2025

Rachel Pound, Senior Recruitment Specialist, Research Opinions

This Pride Month is a chance to us to be visible, show support and discuss actionable things in our workplaces to increase inclusivity. Pride Month is the perfect opportunity to start conversations around how to support LGBTQ+ individuals not just during this month but, let’s think about what we can do industry-wide throughout the entire year.

Last month, MRSpride ran a Mental Health Awareness webinar chaired by MRSpride committee member Chloe Fowler. The webinar covered really important topics around how our own mental health is vital to what we can bring to our work in the market research industry. A takeaway that resonated with me was how LGBTQ+ people hold ourselves back in certain spaces, predominantly the workplace. This is mostly due to not knowing how LGBTQ+ friendly the space is and as the individual you have to put yourself in a potentially harmful situation in order to find out if the environment is safe or not.

At the recent MRS Equality Summit, we heard about many impressive EDI initiatives that have been implemented throughout the market research industry, that highlighted how practical examples of inclusive workplaces create a more positive working culture for everyone. We discussed the importance of senior staff members showing up and being involved in EDI initiatives, and how that visibility encourages other leaders to make important changes as well.

These events have challenged me to think about if, in my own workplace, there was more we could do to ensure LGBTQ+ staff are visibly supported. In the current political climate, it’s even more important than ever to show support for LGBTQ+ people, both in our personal lives and at work.

It’s not just about the staff though, in the market research industry, our research participants being able to voice their opinions is what we rely on – and the more people we can hear from, the better. Pride Month is a chance for us to re-evaluate our industry norms. What practices do we keep that are now outdated? How do we keep moving forward and set better standards? What can each person, involved in a different part of the research process, be doing to ensure a LGBTQ+ participant is respected and valued, and actually wants to take part in a study?

As we near the end of this Pride Month, I encourage you to think about the year ahead and what can be achieved before the next Pride Month, and question:

1. What has your workplace done this Pride Month to be more inclusive?
2. What are the actionable plans for the rest of the year that you’d like to see in your own workplace?
3. Are you a leader in your job role? What can you do in future to promote inclusivity in your team?