Pride & Profit: The Business of Belonging π³οΈβπ
One of the greatest business success stories of the past 20 years was the inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace. Learn how LGBTQ+ inclusion became a top business strategy and what's next...
In an era where division often dominates headlines, a quiet revolution has been unfolding over the past two decades within the business world: the successful inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees.
This wasnβt just a win for human rights; it was a testament to a sound business strategy, demonstrating how genuine inclusivity drives talent retention, fosters innovation, and enhances overall team performance.
Yet, as anti-LGBTQ+ actions surge across the United States, threatening to roll back hard-won progress, the imperative to understand and amplify The Business of Belongingβ’ has never been more urgent.
This vital topic is at the heart of a powerful new podcast mini-series, The Business of Belongingβ’, a collaboration between my company, Rhodes Perry Consulting, and Out & Equal, the global vanguard for LGBTQ+ representation in the workplace. The series convenes a remarkable lineup of leaders, powerful insights, and actions you can take.
Why Belonging is Good Business
The core premise of the mini-series is simple yet profound: an organizationβs success is intrinsically linked to how it treats its LGBTQ+ employees and customers. This assertion is confirmed through data, experience, market performance, shareholder earnings, and case studies gathered over the past 20 years.
As I often say, investing in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion isn't just the right thing to do; itβs how employers gain a crucial competitive advantage as they prepare to welcome the future of our workforce, which continues to become more diverse when it comes to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
This sentiment is echoed throughout the series, beginning with Erin Uritus, CEO of Out & Equal, in the episode, Talent on the Move. Erin details how the current wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is directly causing a "talent exodus," hindering business growth as skilled individuals and families are forced to relocate to locations that offer life-saving legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
Drawing from Out & Equal's Talent on the Move report, she illuminates the evolving needs and expectations of LGBTQ+ employees, underscoring that employers who prioritize inclusion are better positioned to attract and retain top talent.
A Look Back to Move Forward
Understanding the present requires acknowledging the past. Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications, Inc., takes listeners on a journey in his interview, The Movementβs History & Our Inclusion Journey.
Bob meticulously traces the pivotal moments and victories that have shaped LGBTQ+ workplace rights, highlighting how these advancements laid the groundwork for today's inclusive workplaces.
He particularly emphasizes the indispensable role of LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) β grassroots forces within organizations that have been crucial in building inclusive workplaces and are now more vital than ever in the face of backlash.
Reaffirming Commitments in Uncertain Times
You and I both know that todayβs current climate demands courageous leadership. In a two-part interview, Reaffirming Our Belonging Commitments, Deena Fidas, Managing Director and Chief Program Officer for Out & Equal, provides a strategic roadmap for leaders navigating today's complex political and cultural landscape.
Deena offers guidance on crafting powerful messaging that empowers organizational and people leaders to reaffirm their commitment to belonging and, crucially, activate these commitments into tangible, material changes that foster stronger, more inclusive spaces for those within the organization who are least likely to feel safe.
Building on this, Ken Janssens, Co-Founder of WindΕ, joins Part II of this conversation to underscore why LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion represents one of the most significant business success stories of the past two decades. He shares invaluable insights on safeguarding this progress, emphasizing the critical need for business leaders to reassert their commitments and fortify existing policies and practices.
Embracing Gender Diversity and Authentic Allyship
The future of work is undeniably gender-diverse, a truth explored in Building Gender-Inclusive Workplaces with Amanda Simpson from Third Segment and Chris Mossiah from JPMorgan Chase.
They shed light on the common barriers transgender and nonbinary individuals encounter at work and, more importantly, outline concrete actions organizational leaders can take to create genuinely welcoming environments for everyone. Their insights are crucial for leaders seeking to prepare for the emerging workforce.
Beyond policies and practices, the mini-series delves into the human element of inclusion: allyship. In How to be a Real Ally?, Jean-Marie Navetta, Out & Equalβs Vice-President of Learning Programs, offers profound insights into what true allyship entails.
Moving beyond performative gestures, she emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and risk-taking in moments of exclusion, providing practical allyship practices that build the confidence needed to speak up and act.
TAKE ACTION! Pride in Exile
The series culminates with an exclusive and timely episode, Pride in Exile, featuring Chai Feldblum, former EEOC Commissioner with the Obama Administration, and Judge Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the EEOC.
This powerful discussion addresses the concerning trend of federal agencies removing vital information about LGBTQ+ employment rights and enforcement of them. Feldblum and Ortiz provide crucial guidance on how to ensure these resources remain accessible, how individuals who have faced discrimination can confidentially share their experiences to help monitor EEOC actions, and how to foster community and support, especially as federal ERGs face disbandment.
This episode will be available on July 7, 2025. Before then, both of our guests have kindly requested your contribution in speaking out against the proposed changes to previously approved EEO Complaint Forms that would reflect the removal of gender identity and sexual orientation as a basis for sex discrimination.
If you have the capacity, your contribution includes sending personal comments expressing your objection to the proposed removal of gender identity and sexual orientation amongst a list of protected bases on EEO Complaint Forms. Send your objectionable comments to the Treasury PRA Clearance Officer, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20220, or email at PRA@treasury.gov. To read more about this proposed change, go here. Comments are due June 27, 2025.
The Business of Belonging mini-series is more than just a collection of interviews; it's a call to action for visionary leaders.
It's a comprehensive guide to understanding the profound connection between a business's performance and its treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and customers.
In a world grappling with misinformation and division, this series provides the tools and inspiration to fortify the victories of inclusion and continue building workplaces where everyone truly belongs.
Ready to lead with belonging? Listen to The Business of Belonging wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for growing our Belonging Movement!