Professionalism & Productivity: LGBT “Safe Spaces” October 15, 2013

Presenters D’A RCY K EMNITZ, Executive Director, National LGBT Bar Association L ORI L. L ORENZO, Deputy Director, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity 4/27/2013 Footer Text 2

Agenda 4/27/2013 Footer Text 3 What is a Safe Space? Why are Safe Spaces important? What do you need to do to create a Safe Space? What do allies and advocates need to know? Resources & Questions

PART 1: What is a Safe Space? 4/27/2013 Footer Text 4

A Safe Space is … An environment in which everyone is respected and valued without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression 4/27/2013 Footer Text 5

A Safe Space in practice… Takes the form of a particular person or office that has committed to being a resource and advocate for LGBT needs. Human Resources Career Services LGBT affinity group leader A partner or diversity officer 4/27/2013 Footer Text 6

Discussion After meeting at a networking event, a law student calls you to discuss an upcoming interview. His question is: My legal name is Catherine, but I go by Ryan, can I use that on my resume? You assumed the student was male based on your in-person meeting. What do you do? 4/27/2013 Footer Text 7

PART 2: Why do we need Safe Space? 4/27/2013 Footer Text 8

Workplace Discrimination 4/27/2013 Footer Text 10

Why being out matters 4/27/ % of LGBT employees are not out at work. Being closeted is a negative stressor and a drain on a person’s morale, job satisfaction and productivity. “Their silence around the water cooler leaves [LGBT employees] out of critical workplace networking.”

4/27/2013 Footer Text 11 42% of closeted employees feel “isolated at work,” and these employees are 73% more likely to say they plan to leave their companies within three years. Why being out matters

Discussion An employee in your organization is very religious. One day, he comes to you and says that an LGBT colleague is threatening his beliefs. What do you do? 4/27/2013 Footer Text 12

PART 3: What do you need to create a Safe Space? Understanding Awareness 4/27/2013 Footer Text 13

Authentic Gender Model BIRTH SEX INTERSEX MALE FEMALE GENDER EXPRESSION ANDROGYNOUS MASCULINE FEMININE GENDER IDENTITY GENDER DIVERSE MAN WOMAN SEXUAL ORIENTATION (PARTNERS WITH…) WOMEN MEN 4/27/

Vocabulary Problematic transgenders, a transgender transgendered sex change Preferred transgender people or a transgender person transgender transition Whenever possible, ask transgender people which pronoun they would like you to use. If it is not possible to ask, use the pronoun that is consistent with the person’s appearance. If you make a mistake, correct yourself. If someone else makes a mistake, correct them. 4/27/

Coming out Covering I don’t know what you know Passing I assume you don’t know Closeted I don’t want you to know Publicly out See me as gay Explicitly out I’m telling you I’m gay Implicitly out I’m gay. See it if you can. Val Dumontier, /27/201324

Discussion As an ally, you have designated your office as a Safe Space for LGBT employees. A colleague comes in and asks you about your experience working for Company X while identifying as LGBT. How do you respond? 4/27/

PART 4: What allies and advocates need to know. 4/27/2013 Footer Text 18

What Allies Can Do Address Issues: Be “SASSI” SPEAK up ADMONISH the offender’s actions publically SPECIFICALLY identify the issue SET the rule IDENTIFY the expectation Use “partner” in addition to husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend Never assume you know someone’s sexual orientation Learn and use a transgender person’s preferred gender pronoun Recognize that you will make mistakes - keep trying anyway 4/27/

Discussion What is the best way to handle news relating to LGBT rights – such as the Supreme Court hearing arguments about the Defense of Marriage Act – when people in your office might have different political leanings? 4/27/201333

PART 5: Resources & Questions 4/27/2013 Footer Text 21

Resources National Association for Law Placement (NALP), National LGBT Bar Association, Lambda Legal Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, (GLAAD), 4/27/201335

Questions? 4/27/