Have you ever had a dystopian nightmare?

The kind of nightmare that a far-right or even a far-left wing government takes over your country and the police is raiding your house. This type of vivid dream where you see your life being deleted in front of your eyes in seconds.

This is the nightmare I had a few days after my cousin posted "How can anyone be proud to be LGBT?" on Facebook. I wish I could tell her we manage to thrive in a world full of ignorant people like her. And even though "people like her" are parents, we are the ones working for a future where every child can be who they truly are.

If you belong to a minority, you have much higher chances of having such a night vision, or worse, you may be living in one right now.

I live in Dublin city centre, and apart from the casual "queer" or "faggot" I hear from teenagers here and there, Dublin is a gay paradise! Apart from the random homophobic slurs written on walls, everything must be perfect. Sure some transgender woman being attacked by a man with a knife escaping jail time must be a rare case, or trans teens not having access to much-needed healthcare isn't the biggest deal. But it seems as if we have solved most of our issues. Or is that my lightly-researched white cisgender male opinion?

It was only last week when I realised that walking in a place full of Pride flags, just like the city centre of Dublin these days; I feel a lot safer.

I used to debate whether companies should or should not join Pride, now I see things differently. Now I know that every little helps. Even a silly little rainbow can have a significant impact on me. I believe it can be a message of hope to all the queer children at school, the teenagers raised by phobic parents, everyone who still can't be their authentic self at work, or anyone dreaming of getting asylum in a more accepting country.

This Pride lets find a way to make someone smile, feel safe, dream, plan a better future or learn. And let's not do it with wishful thinking. Instead, let's take a small action as if we are throwing a coin in a pond. Or, if we can, a bigger one.

Thank you for reading my opinion, but how can I let you go without a questionmark?

What are you and the company you work for doing for Pride?

Are you adding the pride flag somewhere? Are you sharing with colleagues about LGBTQ+ issues? Are you making sure your employees feel safe and secure to be their authentic selves at work? Are you supporting any causes? Are you hiring and promoting LGBTQ+ talent?

Start small, and you will help pave the path towards a less dystopian future.

Don't you know where to start for Pride? Start from reading