Outspoken East 2022

Recent events have seen the steady erosion of LGBTQ+ civil rights in the US public square. According to the HRC, 2021 was a watershed year for US anti-transgender legislation, as 13 of a record 147 state-level proposals successfully passed into law. Described by Arkansas state Rep. Mary Bentley (R) as social “abomination[s],” the transgender community found itself embroiled in a fiercely incandescent culture war with broad sociopolitical and legal implications. More recently, and in the shadow of a newly reconfigured US Supreme Court, the passage of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill—described by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill—suggests an ominous turn in an era where “empower[ed] parents” and calls for improved “quality of life” threaten to derail social progress. This conversation offers earnest commentary on the state of US LGBTQ+ civil rights today. Do current developments augur hope or despair for current and future generations?

Moderator:
Hugo Greenhalgh, Editor, Openly and Inclusive Economies, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Panelists:
Sean Cahill, Ph.D., Director of Health Policy Research, The Fenway Institute
David S. Flugman, Partner, Selendy Gay Elsberg PLLC
Omar Gonzales-Pagan, Senior Attorney, Lambda Legal
Olivia Hunt, Policy Director, National Center for Transgender Equality

Few issues are as polarizing today as the inclusion of LGBTQ+ athletes in competitive sports. Proponents and activists emphasize inclusion and opportunity as immutable pillars around which each athlete has the right to compete. While conversely, diffuse homophobic sentiments, avowed religious objections, or, in the case of transgender athletes, concerns over fairness and safety are often cited as key criteria for disqualification. In the wake of numerous state-level legislative activity and recent policy updates from the NCAA Board of Governors, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and International Olympic Committee, it’s safe to say that the debate over LGBTQ+ (student-)athlete rights and representation shows no sign of abating. This session offers an earnest look at the LGBTQ+ athlete experience at the collegiate or professional level.

Moderator:
Lauren Silva Laughlin, Deals Editor, Reuters Breakingviews, Thomson Reuters

Panelists:
Savannah Burton, Professional Actress and Athlete
Devin Ibañez, Professional Rugby Player, Major League Rugby
Chris Mosier, Hall of Fame Triathlete
Kenrick Ross, Executive Director, NQAPIA

Pan-industry research suggests that diversity and authenticity directly correlate with enhanced productivity, creativity, and overall profitability in modern business. Whether on a personal or professional level, acting with passion and confidence helps establish a tangible brand upon which key relationships and career development opportunities are forged. This presentation offers comprehensive guidance on building strategic clarity and assurance around the unique contours of LGBTQ+ identity. Participants are invited to share their own perspectives on successes (or setbacks) throughout the conversation.

Moderator:
Bill Bradshaw, Director – Inclusion & Diversity, Withum

Panelists:
Trevor S. Dunaway, Director – Deal Advisory, KPMG
Melissa Madzel, Managing Partner, Axis Talent Partners
Mark Roy, Founder and Principal, Breakthrough Consulting LLC
Jon Tilli, Director, Commercial Real Estate, Deutsche Bank Securities

When it comes to politics, some assume that LGBTQ+ values most closely align with the liberal party. Yet as the previous Republican presidential administration laid bare, LGBTQ+ conservatives found a rare, heretofore elusive opportunity to openly express their political allegiance to a party long viewed as homophobic. Indeed, for many LGBTQ+ conservatives, Donald Trump’s implicit message that the LGBTQ+ culture wars were no longer a core tenet of his brand of Republicanism was a remarkable turn of events—one that well-established organizations such as the Log Cabin Republicans wholeheartedly embraced. Entering Year Two of the Biden Administration, the Republican party has a chance to assess the scope and impact of LGBTQ+ conservatives within its political tent. What role will LGBTQ+ Republicans (and allies) play in the future of the party? Given the multi-generational and ideological friction embroiling the GOP, is there a legitimate opportunity for the Republican tent to continue to adapt and evolve?

Moderator:
Chapin Fay, Esq., Founder & CEO, Lighthouse Public Affairs

Panelists:
Garrett Bewkes, Publisher, National Review & Co-President, Log Cabin Republicans of Connecticut
Kyle Luebke, Counsel, McGuireWoods LLP & President, Log Cabin Republicans of North Carolina
Charles T. Moran, President, Log Cabin Republicans

Few populations were as dramatically impacted by COVID-19 as the LGBTQ+ community. Faced with high unemployment, healthcare accessibility concerns, remote or online interactions, as well as an elevated risk of abuse, depression, or suicidal ideation, LGBTQ+ people endured acute vulnerability the past twenty-four months, particularly among younger and older generations. Inspired by recent scholarship about COVID-19’s psychological burden and deleterious impact on mental health, this discussion examines the latest data and public trends surrounding life in a pandemic era. How have recent events affected those most at risk in the community?

Moderator:
Gillian Power, Senior Advisor, Unbiased Consulting

Panelists:
Rachel Korberg, Executive Director and Co-Founder, The Families and Workers Fund
Kahmia Moise, Director of Equity and Inclusion, The Ali Forney Center
Maria Sjödin, Acting Executive Director, OutRight Action International
Krishna Stone, Director – Community Relations, GMHC

A recent study by the Institute of Management Accountants and the California Society of CPAs found that only half of LGBTQ+ employees working in US accounting view the profession as equitable and inclusive. Even more alarming, less than 35% of respondents openly identifying as LGBTQ+ believe they receive equitable treatment or similar promotional and career development opportunities as that of their non-LGBTQ+-identifying peers. In the legal profession, a similar “bottleneck” exists as one advances toward law firm partnership. Indeed, according to American Bar Association surveys, LGBTQ+ lawyers constitute less than 2% of attorneys in a given firm, yet average an 11% annual attrition rate, and appear overrepresented as Non-equity (as opposed to Equity) partners in large and midsize organizations. Such conclusions underscore a crucial need for better support networks and LGBTQ+ employee retention strategies across professional services firms. This breakout shares a timely take on best practices and operational strategies toward reversing this accelerating trend.

Moderator:
Ru Bhatt, Esq., Partner, Major, Lindsey & Africa

Panelists:
Chris Crespo, Inclusiveness Director, Ernst & Young LLP
Mark C. McLennan, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Candelario Saldana, Associate, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Pride Month and Gilbert Baker’s iconic rainbow flag are intended to celebrate the diverse, rich heritage of the LGBTQ+ nation and its myriad constituents. Each year, the support of numerous celebrities, corporate sponsors, and dedicated community partners offers a kinetic and ostensibly inclusive tableau of modern LGBTQ+ experience and identity politics. Yet in the eyes of a growing chorus of critics, Pride Month’s increasingly commercialized spectacle is a lost opportunity to shed light upon marginalized pockets of the queer collective still grappling with visibility and acceptance. This conversation offers an important inquiry into the racial, ethnic, and cultural limitations of LGBTQ+ communal pride. For all the good “mainstream” media and businesses have done to celebrate or recognize LGBTQ+ constituents, can more be done to incorporate “fringe” members of the community?

Moderator:
Gillian Power, Senior Advisor, Unbiased Consulting

Panelists:
Sue Doster, Co-Chair, NYC Pride
Richard Jones, Co-Founder, Gray Jones Media
André Thomas, Co-Chair, NYC Pride
Karina Willes, Ph.D., Senior Project Manager, Foley & Lardner LLP

Criminal justice data reveals that LGBTQ+ people—especially youth and women—are disproportionately represented throughout the system and suffer higher rates of physical or psychological abuse than their heterosexual or cisgender peers. Among incarcerated populations, LGBTQ+ people of color are also most likely to suffer the indignities of racism and discrimination at the hands of fellow inmates or prison staff—a fate not lost among criminal justice reform activists and allies. This panel explores ongoing reform efforts and alleged civil rights violations wrought against this vulnerable population. How are leading organizations and the private sector managing to lead on change?

Moderator:
Kimberly Mckenzie, Director of Outreach & Community Engagement, Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Panelists:
Deborah Lolai, Supervisor of the LGBTQ Defense Project, The Bronx Defenders
Elizabeth Munsky, Director of LGBTQ+ Initiatives, NYC Department of Corrections
Richard Saenz, Senior Attorney and Criminal Justice Misconduct Strategist, Lambda Legal

According to a new study from the Williams Institute at UCLA Law, 37.7% of survey respondents experienced at least some form of workplace harassment or discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. More distressing, an astounding 67.5% of survey participants also experienced derogatory jokes, slurs, or general commentary toward LGBTQ+ people from workplace peers, including nearly 33% reporting such reprehensible behavior within the last five years. Suffice it to say, for as much as Bostock v. Clayton County transformed workplace experience for many LGBTQ+ professionals, more can and should be done. This conversation offers important guidance on reporting and managing anti-LGBTQ+ workplace behavior in the current climate. As multiple generations continue to enter the workforce, and many employers embark upon hybrid or remote working models, how can individual employees and diversity or human resources professionals reinforce inclusive cultures across the enterprise?

Moderator:
Zorik Pesochinsky, Global Client Director, Legal Large Law, Thomson Reuters

Panelists:
Joseph J. Palermo, Chief Operating Officer, Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Michelle E. Phillips, Principal, Jackson Lewis P.C.
Sergio E. Rodriguez, Senior Manager, Global Employer Services, Deloitte Tax LLP
Jason Rosenbaum, Associate Director, HR Business Partner, Annalect

Please join us for drinks and canapés as we wrap up the day’s discussion.