This is how to quickly make your business more LGBTQ-inclusive
"Are your contractors inclusive? If not, get rid of them," was one of the tips that came up at last week's Proud In Business discussion in London
Words: Brian Leonard; picture: Pexels
A trans and non-binary diversity and inclusion expert offered a brief masterclass in simple ways businesses can better help LGBTQ people last week.
Rachel Reese (she/her) of Global Butterflies was speaking at the Proud In Business discussion in London when she offered her take on the subject.
Reese explained: “The, what I call in our training, ‘trans brand’ – what is your trans brand? How are you going to attract ‘generation Z’ as employees; millennials as clients? That always starts at the top. With the senior leader talking about the subject. We assume you’re not OK with it unless your leader is saying something positive about it.”
Reese continued that this should then apply to “your HR department, talent attraction, data protection, transition management, safety, rules, harassment, bullying – all that sort of stuff. Then, to middle managers and how to look after trans and non-binary people to your client facing stuff, your call centres, your security, your services, right down to how you deal with your contractors. Are your contractors inclusive? If not, get rid of them. Get new contractors.”
“Who’s the one person, politician or newspaper editor you can contact?”
Hosted by Xavier White (he/him), CSR, DE&I, & Innovation Marketing Manager at Verizon, the ‘Proud in Business’ Burberry x Verizon panel also featured Zee Monteiro (they/she), an activist who works with UK Black Pride and Stonewall, plus Ash Lawrence Wilson (he/him) of British Airways.
Also in attendance at the event were Simon Croft, Director of Professional and Educational Services at Gendered Intelligence, Darren Styles, owner of Attitude and Rolling Stone UK and Attitude Magazine Foundation founder, plus Rupert Abbott, Executive Director of Give Out.
Reese also encouraged businesspeople “to advocate outside of the workplace. What are you saying publicly? You’ve got numbers in your mobile we don’t have. Who’s the one person, politician or newspaper editor you can contact [about] what’s going on?”
The Attitude July/August issue featuring exclusive interviews with the cast of Queer As Folk is out now.