GOODBYE MARCH MADNESS,
HELLO LGBTQ+ EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING!
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Welcome readers and community members to this special March issue of Out & Equal's monthly newsletter!
March was truly a jam-packed month! We hope we are reaching you all today safe and well and glowing from the impact of your organization's March equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives and celebrations, including Women's History Month and International Women's Day (March 8th), National LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week (March 21st - 25th), and of course, International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV)... to name a few!
In the midst of all of the measurable change we're making together, the world—in its current, less inclusive state—has delivered to us yet another month of headlines and experiences riddled with divisiveness, anxiety, fear, and unnecessary loss. it's enough to weigh down even the most tested and steadfastly optimistic among us. Thankfully our Queer community superpower remains intact, and that is our ability to manifest and lead with JOY ...especially in the darker times.
While our hearts and minds are with those impacted by the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ instances taking place around the globe, and while we ready ourselves as a united community for all the hard work ahead, we take a moment to refill our joy tanks and celebrate our Transgender and Gender Expansive family—historically the most overlooked and underserved of our community. To that end we have packed this newsletter with content we hope brings additional substance and inspiration to your and your workplace's LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts—today on TDOV, and all year long.
Much love and solidarity... and joy,
The Out & Equal Team
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AWARENESS TO ACTION:
TDOV Stories that Inform and Inspire
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"How can we find the joy and the celebration to offset the anxiety, the fear, the loss? TDOV is one answer.
TDOV is a spark of joy. TDOV is the lighting of a flame of visibility that is almost non-existent. TDOV is the embodiment of strength standing up from—and standing up to—the most intense adversity imaginable. TDOV is the fullness of life, while also recognizing the depths of loss— disproportionate loss faced by transgender and gender expansive communities everywhere. TDOV is the optimism and joy that refuels each of us… that refuels a movement. And that refuel is exactly what is needed to navigate a highly divisive and seemingly unrelenting landscape of exclusion, erasure, and attack." Read more from Erin...
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Visibility, both in the workplace and beyond, plays a key role in shaping the narrative around how transgender/gender expansive individuals can be their full, authentic selves and thrive—both inside and outside of the workplace.
TDOV is an opportunity to uplift and center the stories and voices of the transgender/gender expansive community and recommit to valuing and celebrating this community year-round. It also presents a vital opportunity to engage companies, stakeholders, and employees in conversations and programming around the transgender/gender expansive community.
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Throughout the year Out & Equal aims to elevate diverse voices, stories, lived experiences, and perspectives—in this blog and across the work we do. In this issue of “In Conversation with…” we sat down with Chris Mossiah (they/them), Executive Director Consumer & Community Banking, and Brad Baumoel (he/him), Global Head of LGBT+ Affairs, both from JPMorgan Chase, to discuss Transgender Day of Visibility and the work they’re doing every day—as individuals and as leaders—to ensure progress for transgender and gender expansive people in our workplaces. Click to read more from Chris and Brad...
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Sam Slate (he/him) is a ten-year veteran of Dell Technologies, a long-term member of Dell Pride, and a founding member of the Dell Technologies Transgender Task Force. Sam facilitated a workshop at Out & Equal’s 2023 Executive Forum on “Advocacy While Working,” which explored the role of workplace advocacy in creating change, including how to effectively communicate with senior stakeholders and develop tools to navigate advocacy conversations. We sat down with Sam to learn more about his journey to advocacy and advice for those starting out. Click to read more from Sam...
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Be sure to check out our highly knowledge product, Celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility Year-Round, refreshed for TDOV 2023 with proven strategies you and your organization can take to ensure transgender and gender expansive employees feel valued throughout the year!
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BEFORE YOU GO...
Enjoy this quick look back at
Out & Equal's 2023 Executive Forum event!
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"Joy my friends... Joy is our superpower. The Queer community and family, whether you were born into it or not, is our superpower." - Out & Equal CEO, Erin Uritus |
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