Leadership. Personally, and as the CEO of Out & Equal, an organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ workplace equity and inclusion, I am always thinking about what leadership means, how it’s identified, how it’s nurtured, and about who gets chosen (or overlooked) to be elevated to that status or level.

And now, with Women’s History Month underway, International Women’s Day approaching (March 8th), and Out & Equal’s 2024 Leadership Forum just a few weeks away (March 25-27) all set against a backdrop of continued anti-LGBTQ+ efforts and legislation—leadership is a topic that has taken on added heft and implications.

Let’s look at some statistics:

• An article from Axios referencing an analysis from Bloomberg poignantly states, “Women only hold 8.2% of CEO roles at large companies.”

• Data from Women in the Workplace, a comprehensive research report conducted by McKinsey and Lean In, finds that, “Women represent roughly one in four C-suite leaders, and women of color just one in 16.”

• And when we aim to examine LGBTQ+ women in leadership roles, the data is even harder to come by. But what is available does highlight some of the challenges LGBTQ+ women face more broadly in the workplace. Again, citing Women in the Workplace and their analysis of intersectional experiences:
• 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ women have been mistaken for someone more junior.
• 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ women say others get credit for their ideas.
• 2 in 5 LGBTQ+ women say their judgement is questioned.
• 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ women say a senior coworker has advocated on their behalf for a raise.

The facts above are a stark reminder that all women have an uphill climb to achieving equity in the workplace. These challenges and barriers are even more acute for women who are in marginalized and overlooked communities such as Queer women, transgender women, and women of color.

Looking at the transgender community as an example, more than seven in ten (71%) transgender respondents in the Experiences of the Lavender Ceiling, a report Out & Equal developed in partnership with Korn Ferry to spotlight the progress challenges facing out LGBTQ+ leaders at work, reported gender identity and expression as the primary source of bias they’ve experienced in the workplace, compared to 15% of cisgender respondents. And when looking at LGBTQ+ representation more broadly, that same report noted that nearly half (49%) of survey respondents don’t view their company’s C-suite as representative of the LGBTQ+ community at all.

I am a bisexual, pansexual, and Queer woman. I am a CEO who has navigated the challenges experienced by women and Queer people in the workplace. I am a first for Out & Equal.

And as I commence my seventh year as CEO of this organization, I am reflecting on my own journey to this role and recognizing the importance and responsibility of advancing movement-making impact by realizing not only firsts, but ensuring seconds, thirds, and beyond are more than achievable, but the norm.

Let’s examine this further.

• Firsts are essential. You have to get through the door and secure a seat at the table. Once you do, how you leverage that experience and earned influence to create sustainable change and build a wider pathway of inclusion and belonging really matters. Firsts can easily be viewed as a checked box and lauded as a victory and assumption that the work of equity, inclusion, and belonging are finished. That could not be further from the truth. When a first is achieved, the work must be accelerated.

• Seconds are critical. Just because a first is achieved, does not mean a second is guaranteed. Leaders and organizations must be intentional to ensure a continued commitment to and investment in pathways of leadership advancement for all—pathways inclusive of historically marginalized and overlooked communities.

• Movements must be intentional. First and seconds are foundational to create movement-making impact. How so? They begin to change hearts and minds, set new expectations, and establish a new normality. It’s a reverberating effect that allows individuals to see what is possible for themselves and for others, elevates and empowers new voices, creates opportunities for those who have been overlooked for too long, and unlocks innovation for workplaces and the societies they serve. And as these firsts and seconds grow into a movement, we must always remember to be intentional in our thought process, approach, and decision making. Is our movement inclusive? Are we building a wider pathway that brings everyone along? Are we approaching solutions with an intersectional lens? How are allies and individuals in positions of power leveraging their spheres of influence to elevate and empower historically marginalized and overlooked communities? These are all critical elements to building a movement that is inclusive, intentional, and impactful in meaningful ways.

So, as we look towards the future and creating cultures rich in inclusion and belonging, let’s acknowledge the challenges all women particularly Queer women, transgender women, and women of color have and continue to face. Let’s be sure we’re investing in their future and growth. Let’s make sure we’re laying the groundwork not for just firsts, but seconds, thirds, and beyond!

Now, more than ever before, visibility and recognition matter.

As transgender and nonbinary people face erasure, discrimination, and systemic attacks, allies and the broader LGBTQ+ community and movement have an obligation to stand up for and

alongside them authentically and intentionally, ensuring they are seen, heard, and protected,

while elevating their remarkable stories, which have shaped the world we live in.

From the everyday heroes to the trailblazers and icons, transgender and nonbinary people have pushed the cause of equality forward for all people and created a world that is rich in culture, art, and love.

On Transgender Day of Visibility and beyond, we encourage you to:

• Speak up on behalf of transgender and nonbinary people and don’t let their stories be pushed aside, erased, coopted, and/or forgotten. Learn about who they are and how they have made our world a better, stronger place.
• Elevate and support transgender and nonbinary artists. Listen to the music they have created that makes the world move and feel.
• Read books by trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive authors. Here is a list to get you started!

Resources to Ensure You’re Building Workspaces Rich in Inclusion and Belonging

• Celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility Year-Round
• Experiences of The Lavender Ceiling: Progress and Continued Challenges Facing out LGBTQ+ Leaders at Work
• Global Toolkit for Change: Assessing LGBTQI+ Inclusion in Your Workplace
• Your Story. Your Truth. Your Power
• What’s Your Pronoun? Strategies for Inclusion in the Workplace

Examining Transgender and Nonbinary Inclusion: Content Worth Revisiting from the 2023 Out & Equal Workplace Summit

• Trans and Nonbinary Leaders Visibility at Last, Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
• Globalizing Trans Inclusion
• Fostering Allyship with the Trans and Nonbinary Community in Latin America
• Uncovering Culture: Are Your LGBTQ+ Employees Hiding Who They Really Are?

Out & Equal has a rich history of convening with measurable and lasting impact. From our annual signature events such as Workplace Summit and Leadership Forum, to our Global Forums and regional convenings, our gatherings have always been, and continue to be, designed to bring together renowned thought leaders, key workplace stakeholders, and influencers to solve the most pressing issues facing LGBTQI+ workplace inclusion.

We are thrilled to be offering multiple in-person, Partner-exclusive gatherings around the world in the coming weeks in Latin America (LATAM), the American South, and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

These events will bring together executives, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) and HR practitioners, Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders, workplace inclusion change-makers, and other influencers to partake in trailblazing discussions and workshops, peer-to-peer education on innovative best practices, and networking with leaders from across each region.

Together, in these spaces, we will continue working towards creating workplaces and workplace cultures where LGBTQI+ employees and allies belong, thrive, and contribute to greater impact—in the workplace and beyond.

Learn more about each of our upcoming, Partner-exclusive events below

May 9, 2024

 Registration is now open!

June 6, 2024

 Registration opens on Tuesday, April 2nd

July 16, 2024

Registration opens in April

At Out & Equal, we work with the world's leading and most influential companies—and the inclusive leaders in these organizations—to advance LGBTQ+ representation, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. 

We’re proud to welcome Constellation Brands, Nielsen, NORC, Pitney Bowes, Public Consulting Group, The Nature Conservancy, and Veeam as our newest members of the Out & Equal Partner Community. 

Join the Out & Equal Community