5 Things / All In
A Note from Bernadette
On Father's Day, at my local pickleball court, the players ranged in age from 10 to 96. It was packed. Every kind of person, and they mostly got along.
I say mostly because diversity is often not without conflict. In fact, on a team, conflict can actually be a sign that the team is psychologically safe. People sharing their diverse opinions can cause tension at times, but if they're all actually sharing, the outcome is almost always better. That's what psychological safety can look like.
On the court, there were different opinions about how to keep the flow moving with so many people. In the end, there was a better solution than would have been possible if we had all just let one person dominate. Turns out that's true at work, too.
This Week's Good Vibes 🙌
Japan Goes to School on LGBTQIA+
Japan is launching its first-ever nationwide LGBTQIA+ education program. Schools will offer students information about LGBTQIA+ identities and expanded access to counselors. Universities will update curricula for future healthcare workers and teachers. Annual reporting and triennial reviews are built in.
♐️ When your organization launches awareness training, ask: what policies back it up?
Delaware Makes Parenthood Safer for All
In a model for other states, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed a bill updating the state's parentage laws to better protect families built through IVF and surrogacy. The law streamlines legal parentage for those using assisted reproduction and introduces a voluntary acknowledgment form that lets parents establish rights immediately without going to court. The law also replaces gendered language with gender-neutral terms.
♐️ Review your organization's benefits language. Does it use gender-neutral terms for parental leave and dependent coverage?
Nepal Just Made History. Again.
Nepal's Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling to guarantee equal marriage rights for LGBTQ+ and transgender people, making Nepal the 40th country worldwide to do so. The ruling provides legal clarity and security for Nepali LGBTQ+ couples and signals the next step is government implementation.
♐️ Progress isn't linear, but it is persistent. What persistent push in your workplace is building toward something bigger?
Tech Is Clearing the Way Back In
Rasa Legal, a legal tech startup founded by former public defender Noella Sudbury, continues to raise millions to scale its criminal record expungement and sealing platform. Roughly 70 million Americans carry a criminal record, limiting their access to jobs, housing, and education long after their sentence ends. Employers across sectors talk about hiring shortages while background-screening systems reduce the candidate pool.
♐️ Does your organization have a fair-chance hiring policy? If not, that's your first step.
Not Your Typical Presidential Library
The Obama Presidential Center's 19-acre campus includes an NBA-sized basketball court, a Chicago Public Library branch, a café, a restaurant, a vegetable garden, a sledding hill, and barbecue grills. It was designed as a community center first.
Local entrepreneurs are opening businesses along the corridor, and longtime residents describe the center as "a beacon of hope" and a signal that the South Side hasn't been forgotten.
♐️ The most powerful institutions don't just preserve history. They invest in the communities that made it. What would it look like for your organization to show up that way in your own backyard?
Good Vibes to Go & Updates
Happy Pride! The parade is in Chicago tomorrow and I'll be celebrating. Go find yourself some Pride-oriented good vibes in your local community. I'll be off next week. Enjoy the holiday!