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Good Governance in LGBTQ+ Non-Profit
As we navigate perilous times, we must regain control of the organizations we created to protect ourselves The US LGBTQ+ movement was at some point one the most effective community-run grassroots movements. Today, some of our non-profits are co-opted by questionable actors, more focused on publicity than impact and instrumentalized by their leaders for personal…
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Crystal Ball Gazing: Global LGBTQ+ rights in 2023
I like to think of myself as a modern-age Nostradamus: here are 15 predictions for the New Year My 2022 forecast (here) was strangely not bad for once. Granted, some unexpected developments such as the war in Ukraine or Morrison’s defeat in Australia precipitated positive developments I had foreseen. On the other hand, the passing…
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Tomorrow: all eyes on the Indian Supreme Court
India’s highest court holds hearing on same-sex marriage. To many, January 6th, 2023 will be the 1st anniversary of the United States Capitol attack. And yet, tomorrow could be a turning point for LGBTQ+ people globally as the Indian Supreme Court starts hearing arguments on the recognition of same-sex marriage in India under the Special…
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2022: a year of LGBTQ+ Board Diversity in Review
LGBTQ+ people only represent 0.6 percent of all corporate board members in Fortune 500 companies in 2022 (see our tracker here), an increase of only 0.1% over the past 5 years. Until this year, LGBTQ+ people were the only underrepresented group in the Boardroom without an organization to prepare, network, and position high-caliber diverse LGBTQ+…
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Tackling Unconscious Bias in the Boardroom
Remarks on How to Tackle Unconscious Bias in the Workplace Unconscious biases have strong impacts at the workplace, and can apply to all identities, whether related to gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background or religion. Key strategies and actions can be implemented by companies to tackle such biases. The session will focus on the importance…
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Is Pointing the Finger at Qatar2022 Moral Imperialism?
Radical cultural relativism vs. universality of human rights Some in the Muslim world and elsewhere are riled up by what they perceive as the hypocritical Western denunciation of Qatar in the context of the World Cup. “Y’all insisting one wearing the one love band is just disrespectful to the people hosting the game” a connection commented…
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Staying Alive
In Qatar, Colorado Springs or across the river When I came out to the first person in my family, my grandmother– finally safe 4,000 miles away from my home — she told me “not to get AIDS”. It was a pretty usual reaction in 2001. She did not instruct me to be happy now that…
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Notes from National Harbor
A glimpse of LGBTQ+ Inclusion at the NACD Summit? Before joining the Annual Summit of the National Association of Corporate Directors in Washington this week, we carefully cross-examined the list of participants against the lists of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors: counting 4 lesbians and 4 gay men (only 3 actual board directors — namely…
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Launch of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors
Opening Remarks Thank you for your kind words Betsy and thank you for saying “yes” when I asked you to lend your name, expertise and knowledge to the Association. It is an honor to have you on our Advisory Board. Let me also echo our gratitude to our friends at JP Morgan and in particular Managing Director…
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Metrics: the LGBTQ+ ESG Snake-Oil Antidote
This week, The Economist’s cover read “ESG: three letters that won’t save the planet” with this striking picture. It describes ESG as an “abbreviation that is in danger of standing for exaggerated, superficial guff” expressing fears it will only be another golden opportunity for consulting firms to sell overpriced services to clients without triggering any meaningful change. Indeed, investors have…