For LGBT Pride Month (JUNE!) – Being a REAL Ally!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Lots of Useful and Interesting Links at the bottom of the blog! Check them out.

Traditionally, June is LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride Month commemorating the “Stonewall Rebellion” in Greenwich Village, New York in late June 1969. Led by a set of brave drag queens, patrons of the Stonewall Tavern boldly stood up to police harassment.
Ally final
To supplement the materials I provided in past years (see links at bottom of blog), this year I want to discuss the importance of “allies” for and within the LGBT community. Allies can be “heterosexual” people, LGB taking action as allies for trans folks, or LGBT acting as allies across other dimensions of diversity like age or race.

Webster’s dictionary defines an ally as “one that is associated with another as a helper.” What a great definition that goes well with the graphic I created for this blog! A true ally-helper is much more than a person who says they support someone; they go beyond that to take some kind of action to help their associates. According to Friendfactor, one of the leading non-profits in the US today working to educate and activate LGBT allies, 77% of Americans verbally state that they support LGBT inclusion, but a much smaller number, 14%, actually do something about it.

Some actions you as an ally can take:
• Support your LGBT friends by including them in your social activities and treating same-gender couples the same as your heterosexual coupled friends.
• Use inclusive, non-gender specific language like partner or spouse when describing your significant other and asking about theirs, to signal that you’re supportive.
• When you hear someone use a derogatory slur or make a stereotype about LGBT people, ask them why they think so and start a conversation about how they may feel if that slur or stereotype was made about them.
gay marriage poster
• Attend rallies and community activities advocated for LGBT equality, speak out as a straight person and even carry a sign or banner (see photo).

Finally engage with Friendfactor, contact [email protected] for more info on building an active ally program at your workplace or school. Visit www.friendfactor.org for their excellent ally resources. And consider supporting or attending Friendfactor’s 1st Annual Ally Challenge Awards Dinner in San Francisco on July 26.

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Here are some additional past blogs that can serve as LGBT Pride Month Resources:

LINK: Five things to never say to gay people

LINK: Five common misconceptions about gay people

LINK: Five Heroes of the early US Gay Rights Movement

LINK: Five Ways CEOs Can Show Support for LGBT Diversity

A Guest Blog: LGBT Gay Diversity in Direct Sales

LINK: Four Quick Points around LGBT Economic Development

LINK: The Intersection of LGBT and Aging

LINK: LGBT and Housing Issues

New Associate Consultant to Assist Total Engagement Consulting with Business Expansion into Mexico

An announcement from Stan C. Kimer, President, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer

Elsa Maria Jimenez-Salgado, Associate Consultant, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer

Elsa Maria Jimenez-Salgado, Associate Consultant, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer


Following my March, 2014 trip to Mexico, I am pleased to announce that I have added an “associate consultant on call” to the Total Engagement Consulting team: Elsa Maria Jimenez-Salgado. Ms. Jimenez, a Mexican native now living in Raleigh, North Carolina, is bilingual Spanish and English. Ms. Jimenez completed her law degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Leon, Mexico in 2007, graduating at the top of her class. She is a licensed attorney in Mexico, and is now completing an Executive Graduate Certification in Business and Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management in the United States, with an expected graduation date of June this year.

Ms. Jimenez has eight years of business experience including:
• Three years of legal positions in Mexico
• Four years as Documentation Administrator, Community Affairs Manager, and Assistant to the General Counsel at the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh, NC.
• One year as an office manager for a staffing consulting firm
• An entrepreneur running her own translation business

In her work with Total Engagement Consultant, Ms. Jimenez will assist with business development in Mexico, and will be assigned as an associate consultant on all engagements with Mexican clients. With her experience in human resource areas and strong language skills, Ms. Jimenez will handle client interviews, accurate translation of all consulting material, and training sessions and presentations which need to occur in Spanish.

As the President and Founder of Total Engagement Consulting, I am enthusiastic about the potential growth of my services in Mexico. During my March trip, I met with three large potential clients in three different industries as well as with the executive president of Mexico’s largest Human Resources Association. In all my meetings, I was very impressed at how well Mexican HR executives and leaders understand the importance of employee skills development and engagement in robust career management. There is an understanding that corporate HR leaders must take the lead and deliver innovative and meaningful talent development programs for the Mexican economy to globally compete with India, China and the USA.

In addition to being prime and fertile ground for the Total Engagement Career Mapping offering for talent engagement and development, there is also a growing awareness for the need for robust workplace diversity strategy and implementation. To fully compete at the global level, leading Mexican companies understand that all segments of the population; men, women, indigenous people, and LGBT need to be fully integrated and empowered in their workplaces. Total Engagement Consulting is also ready to assist Mexican clients with its deep diversity expertise.

To read more about my initial trip to Mexico, please link to these two blogs:
My personal experience on the NLGCC Trade Mission to Mexico
A conversation with the executive president of Mexico’s largest HR professional organization

In addition to contacting me ([email protected]), about your business in Mexico, you may also feel free to contact Elsa Jimenez (in Spanish or English) at [email protected]