017 Pride in the Workplace: Why Building LGBTQ Inclusive Culture is Critical
“I wouldn’t think of myself as an ally. I would switch the word ally to advocate. And, that’s really what it’s about, ya know. We’ve got friends. We need advocates.”
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Gloria welcomes to the show founder and CEO of Harmony Gold and GLAAD co-founder, Jehan Agrama, and CEO and founder of Translator, Natalie Egan. Both incredibly strong women, Jehan and Natalie are open and proud members of the LGBTQ community. They open up about their experiences facing discrimination in their respective workplaces. Jehan and Natalie speak to the structural changes they would like to see within organizations moving forward to allow for a more open corporate culture. Finally, Jehan and Natalie open up about the importance of advocacy over alliance in the fight for LGBTQ rights and societal acceptance.
The included interview first aired live on YouTube during Take The Lead’s Virtual Happy Hour. Watch the video here.
This episode is brought to you by Take The Lead’s 9 Leadership Power Tools, a breakthrough leadership program that can propel you to accelerate your career, help you pivot to a new career, and generally boost your confidence in yourself in life and leadership. Find out more and let us know how we can help you with training and coaching at taketheleadwomen.com/leadership-tools or email us directly at takethelead@taketheleadwomen.com and someone will get right back to you.
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Resources
Sign up here for the Take The Lead This Week Newsletter.
Learn more about Take The Lead’s Leadership Tools.
“Where Bluebirds Fly: How and Why we Build LGBTQ Pride in the Workplace and Beyond
Businessolver 2019 State of Workplace Empathy Executive Summary and Insights E-Book
Three reports for you to download from GLAAD.
The 2018 Where We Are On TV report, analyzing diversity in primetime scripted series
Books Mentioned
[Take The Lead participates in the Amazon Associates program and may receive compensation for qualifying purchases made through the following links.]
Victory: The Triumphant Gay Revolution, by Linda Hirshman
No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, by Gloria Feldt
Social Links
Gloria Feldt’s Website & Social Media
Reshma Gopaldas’s Website & Social Media
Take The Lead’s Website and Social Media
Jehan Agrama’s Websites & Social Media
Natalie Egan’s Website & Social Media
Quotes/Tweetables
“I’ve always been sort of a serial entrepreneur. I’ve been starting businesses, trying to solve problems, help people and kind of make money along the way since I was about five years old.”
“I lived my life in a bubble of white male privilege with access and resources. I never had to think about my identity. I identified as cis-gender, hetero, normative bro.”
“It’s not over. It’s far from even beginning.”
“Trans people have been around since the beginning of time. We were just hiding. And, we didn’t have any ability to communicate with ourselves and, therefore, the world kinda didn’t know that we existed.”
“In dealing with the media, in dealing with education, the message has to be very clear and very simple.”
“I also think that if companies and organizations do not become diverse, they’re really not going to succeed.”
“I wouldn’t think of myself as an ally. I would switch the word ally to advocate. And, that’s really what it’s about, ya know. We’ve got friends. We need advocates.”
“This country is built on shame. I suppose it didn’t help that the Puritans were the first that landed here. As an immigrant, I guess I can say that, but it’s incredibly, incredibly Puritanical.”