Embrace the Rainbow: Q&A with Eli Hernandez

June is a significant month for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies as it marks Pride Month, a time to celebrate diversity, equality, and inclusion. For many organizations, embracing the spirit of Pride Month is an opportunity to foster a more inclusive workplace and demonstrate their commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for all employees.

We sat down with Eli Hernandez, MS, SHRM-SCP , who is serving his second year as Treasurer on the FWHR Board, to explore the importance of Pride Month and provide actionable tips for HR professionals and organizations.

What are your pronouns? 

he/him/his

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

I came out officially around 16 in high school and had a lot of great support from family and friends. I’ve had to come out probably 1,000 times since then (if you know, you know). At first, I tried to push this part of my identity off as something that was “not a big deal” because I am so much more than that label. Now, I realize it is an important part of who I am because to know me is to know the community, friends, and family members that I love so much.

Being gay in a professional setting can vary as far as experiences go. If I find myself uncomfortable in a certain setting I find myself masking or code-switching to blend into my environment. I’ve become more aware of this and am actively trying to overcome it but it's an ongoing process.

How do you celebrate pride month and what does it mean to you? 

I celebrate Pride Month with friends by visiting parades and festivals hosted in the DFW area. It’s a good opportunity to stay connected with the community and recognize how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time. It’s also a chance to reflect on what work still needs to be done to ensure we have a more equitable society

What’s your advice to those who want to be a better ally? How can they better support the community? 

I think as with most things, you have to be comfortable coming from a place of learning. Despite recent societal wins for the gay and lesbian community in the US, our Trans family is currently under heavy attack by extremist legislators as a way to detract from the fact that they really don’t have much of a policy platform that helps everyday Americans. If you read up on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement, you’ll learn that Trans individuals played a significant role in many of the societal and legislative wins that we all benefit from, yet they continue to be ostracized by the larger community.

The Dallas Holocaust Museum does a great job of differentiating between two groups of individuals that were present during the Holocaust: bystanders and upstanders. We’re all familiar with the term bystander, but an upstander is “a person who speaks or acts in support of an individual or cause, particularly someone who intervenes on behalf of a person being attacked or bullied.” To be a good Ally, you have to be an upstander. The worst thing for our society is to become indifferent.

What can organizations do outside of Pride Month to support the LGBTQ+ community?

Sponsor me! Kidding. The most important thing companies can do outside of pride is to keep the topic of inclusivity alive not only during Pride Month or AAPI Month or Women’s History Month but all the time. Most of human behavior is learned. We know this empirically. Therefore, we can’t assume everyone has had the same experiences we’ve had. What we need to thrive in society are tools for navigating difficult situations, appreciating that we do not live in a homogenous world, and being open to being wrong (which most of us have learned is maybe one of the worst things you can be). In the business world, we call these “soft skills.” Well, I think businesses need to invest more in these programs because the cost of not doing so is too high.

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We want to thank Eli Hernandez, MS, SHRM-SCP for his time, vulnerability, and courage in sharing his story. You can check out upcoming Pride events at Dallas-Fort Worth Pride Month 2023 events | wfaa.com.

To learn more about Fort Worth HR, you can visit FWHR - Home. We offer recertification credits, networking opportunities, memberships, and much more!