Tag Archives: LGBT community

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

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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

Investing in 2014 – Part 2 of 2 – Opening Up a New Market!

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In Part 1 of this series, Investing in Organizational and Personal Career (link) I explored the need to focus on career development both within your organizations for all your people as well as for your own personal growth. In addition I introduced a new affiliate relationship and featured links to two interesting articles on the web – on why people hate their jobs and career and financial advice for young professionals. Link to last week’s blog to get caught up on this topic. Now looking ahead to 2014, part 2 of this series is about opening up new markets in 2014, and I want to propose a focus on one of the fastest growing and most dynamic segments, the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) market.

Are you prepared to serve this two lesbian customers with dignity and respect?

Are you prepared to serve this two lesbian customers with dignity and respect?

Just looking within the United States alone, many diversity market place studies place the LGBT disposable income at between $700 – $800B! Even though the number of LGBT people may be smaller than numbers of Asians, Blacks or Hispanics in the US, the disposable income is in the same range. The primary reason is that at least for now, a smaller percentage of LGBT people are raising children (which costs a whole lot of money), which provides more money available for other purchasing decisions. Maybe you should plan to expand into this market in 2014!

One other very important point about the LGBT marketplace is that it is frequently more “brand-loyal” to companies that reach out to them and treat them with respect, and more “brand-punishing” to those companies that do very little to recognize the LGBT community or that even treat them negatively. It seems that on a monthly basis, there is some company that is highly publicized for a misstep with the LGBT community, or one that has done something very special to support the community.

But it goes beyond just the end-consumer! This LGBT market discussion is also important to consider in B2B (or business to business) interactions. Companies that primarily sell to other companies need to be acutely aware that key decision makers they are calling on could be LGBT or strong supporters. Plus an increasing number of very large firms look at potential suppliers’ diversity policies as part of their buying criteria. And many include LGBT-owned businesses as part of their supplier diversity mix and are corporate partners of the NLGCC (National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.)

I am now an affiliate partner of LGBT Marketing and Communications expert Jenn T. Grace, offering "How to Authentically Market to the Gay Community"

I am now an affiliate partner of LGBT Marketing and Communications expert Jenn T. Grace, offering “How to Authentically Market to the Gay Community”


Through my consulting practice, I can assist you in your LGBT corporate diversity strategy and training; take a look at my services (link) and also take my 13-question GLBT Diversity quiz to see how your organization rates as LGBT-inclusive.

And now through an affiliate partnership with Jenn T. Grace – you can gain the marketing and communications expertise via the “How to Authentically Market to the Gay Community.” Check out the details on my affiliates web page (link) or to start now, link to Jenn’s free introductory video series.

I am hoping to see the economy to continue to improve in 2014, but in addition to growing with that wave, don’t you want to grow faster than the market? Consider a special effort to court and win LGBT business in 2014!