IKEA stores to fly Progress Pride flag to stand against anti-LGBT+ hate
IKEA will fly the Progress Pride flag as part of its “Progress is Made” campaign. (Getty/ Hector Vivas)
Ikea will fly the Progress Pride flag from its stores as part of its “Progress is Made” campaign for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (17 May).
The campaign encourages both IKEA’s staff and customers to stand against anti-LGBT+ hate and “build a world where everyone can feel at home”.
The Progress Pride flag was designed by Daniel Quasa in 2018. The designer made-over the six-coloured rainbow flag to make it more inclusive by adding a five-coloured chevron to represent queer people of colour as well as the trans community.
Alice Young, equality, diversity and inclusion leader for IKEA Australia said: “We are raising the Progress Flag as a way to recognise the need to be inclusive of the many identities within the LGBT+ community.
“To illustrate more inclusivity, the flag includes black and brown stripes to represent LGBT+ communities of colour, as well as pink, light blue and white to represent transgender Pride.”
Young said that the campaign would include educating IKEA employees on the importance of not assuming anyone’s pronouns.
She continued: “It’s important to realise that we cannot determine elements of a person’s identity, just by looking at them.
“That is why we are also educating our co-workers, including our CEO, about the importance of pronouns.
“Much like our individual names, pronouns articulate who we are and how the outside world should recognise and address us.
“Encouraging our co-workers to share their pronouns on their LinkedIn profile and email signature is a small gesture of inclusion to the LGBT+ community.”
The company has also produced a short film for the campaign, featuring LGBT+ folk from around the world.
IKEA is also reviving the rainbow Pride flag version of its FRAKTA bag to mark IDAHOBIT, and it will remain available throughout Pride month, also known as June.
All of the profits from the limited edition bags, which the company launched in 2019, will go to LGBT+ causes and charities.
