EQUALITY INSIGHTS
Weekly 5 Things editions plus essays and GUIDANCE on inclusive communication
5 Things / The Year in Good Vibes
Some of you may know that I spent years as a wedding planner with an LGBTQ+ specialty and a speaker on inclusion in that industry. I started that business in 2004. I was so young! It's been nearly 19 years since the first legal same-sex marriage licenses were issued in Massachusetts -- and only NOW are those marriages — and interracial marriages – codified into federal law, thanks to the Respect for Marriage Act. Those marriages were allowed due to Supreme Court decisions, which could have potentially been challenged.
5 Things / Not DEI
I had a conversation this week with a very kind senior DEI leader who wanted to help me help the company. They gave me some words to say that they thought might help get buy-in from the boss. This person encouraged me to pitch our Inclusive 360 Assessment as an “organizational improvement methodology”, not DEI. Our future work together as “change management”, not DEI.
5 Things / Going First
Recently, I’ve been thinking about the topic of vulnerability. We’ve been told that vulnerability in teams and in groups can unlock greatness. That it creates connection, establishes trust, and can lead to everyone doing their best work.
5 Things / Remembrance
This week was (and still is through today) Trans Awareness Week. This week culminates in the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) tomorrow, on November 20th. TDOR was started in 1999 by a transgender advocate as a vigil to the memory of Rita Hester who was killed in anti-transgender violence. The somber nature of the end of the week stands in contrast to the prior 7 days when trans people (and cisgender allies) educate and take action.
5 Things / More Than Words
I spent this week polishing my new keynote with my Heroic Public Speaking cohort. My new DEI keynote is called More Than Words and addresses the gap between DEI strategy and results. Reply if you want to hear more about it.