Appreciating Progress
It was very important to me to thank my heterosexual host at Blanket Bay lodge in Queenstown, New Zealand, for the pioneering work that as the former President and COO of Levi Strauss he did in advancing the equality of gay people in the workplace. Tom Tusher, now retired and enjoying his active life with his wife Pauline, was very gracious in his response. "It wasn't just me. It was the whole company. We had a very diverse work force and we knew that it was the right thing to do. "
Also the genius behind "dress down Fridays," Tom was among the company's guides in creating "Best Practices" on gay workplace issues back in the mid-1980s when I began training corporate executives. The short list then of visionary companies included The Village Voice, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Bellcore, AT&T, Disney, Lotus, Motorola, and Hewlett-Packard, among a handful of others.
If it hadn't been for people like Tom Tusher, I wouldn't today be in Australia (and next week in Singapore) working with the senior managers of Merrill Lynch (giving the first such presentation on gay and transgender workplace issues in Singapore.) And if it hadn't been for the vision and perseverance of people like Merrill's local heterosexual Diversity manager, Roman Matla, and other local Wall Street Human Resource and Diversity specialists, the topic might not have been raised in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Tokyo for another decade.
It's important that we say "thank you" to all of them, straight and gay alike, who took up the issue of creating a safe and productive work environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees before it was popular or comfortable to do so. We mustn't forget the courage and fortitude of yesterday's and today's leaders who have created the opportunity for the rest of us to make such historic progress in our efforts.
I have a long, long list of personal heroes, all of whom were in the trenches with me nearly 25 years ago, and with whom I have regrettably lost contact. The list also includes those visionaries of today who reason that just because a country outlaws homosexual behavior or because it is taboo in a particular culture are not valid reasons not to create a safe and productive environment for their gay colleagues and customers. To all of you, I say a heartfelt "Thank you. You will never fully appreciate how positively you have influenced people's lives and the global culture."
Out and Equal, the national organization in the U. S. which focuses exclusively on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workplace issues, accepts nominations each year for recognition of service in this area. While I applaud the intention of the practice, I always lament the singling out of one "winner" over the others. Unlike the recipients of the Academy Awards, these business people aren't actors who when finished reciting their lines move on to star in other roles. They all deserve "first place" from Out and Equal for taking on the role of champion and for playing their parts in this real drama so well.
Saying "thank you" to each and everyone of them is the very least we should do.
Also the genius behind "dress down Fridays," Tom was among the company's guides in creating "Best Practices" on gay workplace issues back in the mid-1980s when I began training corporate executives. The short list then of visionary companies included The Village Voice, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, Bellcore, AT&T, Disney, Lotus, Motorola, and Hewlett-Packard, among a handful of others.
If it hadn't been for people like Tom Tusher, I wouldn't today be in Australia (and next week in Singapore) working with the senior managers of Merrill Lynch (giving the first such presentation on gay and transgender workplace issues in Singapore.) And if it hadn't been for the vision and perseverance of people like Merrill's local heterosexual Diversity manager, Roman Matla, and other local Wall Street Human Resource and Diversity specialists, the topic might not have been raised in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Tokyo for another decade.
It's important that we say "thank you" to all of them, straight and gay alike, who took up the issue of creating a safe and productive work environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees before it was popular or comfortable to do so. We mustn't forget the courage and fortitude of yesterday's and today's leaders who have created the opportunity for the rest of us to make such historic progress in our efforts.
I have a long, long list of personal heroes, all of whom were in the trenches with me nearly 25 years ago, and with whom I have regrettably lost contact. The list also includes those visionaries of today who reason that just because a country outlaws homosexual behavior or because it is taboo in a particular culture are not valid reasons not to create a safe and productive environment for their gay colleagues and customers. To all of you, I say a heartfelt "Thank you. You will never fully appreciate how positively you have influenced people's lives and the global culture."
Out and Equal, the national organization in the U. S. which focuses exclusively on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workplace issues, accepts nominations each year for recognition of service in this area. While I applaud the intention of the practice, I always lament the singling out of one "winner" over the others. Unlike the recipients of the Academy Awards, these business people aren't actors who when finished reciting their lines move on to star in other roles. They all deserve "first place" from Out and Equal for taking on the role of champion and for playing their parts in this real drama so well.
Saying "thank you" to each and everyone of them is the very least we should do.
