Panel, Fireside Chat
Gay Rights: Corporate America's New Export?
Milken InstituteKatie O'Reilly, Randy Berry, Beth Brooke-Marciniak, Jason Collins, Fred Hochberg, Ross LaJeunesse, Harry Keeley, Tim Hoy
- US employment protections are projected to remain volatile over the next few years, with the risk of termination for being gay or transgender persisting in most states, while recent legislative rollbacks in Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi are expected to continue absent positive counter-measures.
- International challenges regarding LGBT rights are anticipated to become more complex, with 75 countries maintaining laws permitting imprisonment or execution for homosexuality, though corporate involvement is expected to shift focus toward translating US models to global markets.
- Corporate America is expected to lead on LGBT issues driven by a strong economic business case, with the number of companies achieving a perfect 100 score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index projected to grow from approximately 10 a decade ago to over 400 currently.
- Although less than 10% of companies are currently identified as inclusive, the business case covering consumers, talent, and innovation is expected to gain further acceptance, with firms ignoring the $3.7 trillion LGBT consumer market risking undetected customer loss due to the "ally effect."
- Internal corporate cultures are expected to drive societal change across 155 countries, as companies like EY control workplace environments and diversity strategies that can influence national perceptions even when national laws remain restrictive.
- Government policies are viewed as more susceptible to fluctuation compared to private sector cultures, with the State Department noting its internal progress over the last 23 to 24 years is "extraordinary" and the trend toward openly gay ambassadors is "irreversible."
- Google expects inclusive environments to release energy previously wasted by employees hiding their identities, while utilizing calibrated, local engagement strategies in markets like Russia, Singapore, and India to avoid negative consequences associated with "one-size-fits-all" approaches.
- International corporate presence is expected to create a "pull effect" in countries where the workplace is the only safe space to be out, with past instances such as the 2013 Budapest Pride Parade serving as turning points where business presence deterred violence.
- Personal visibility and "coming out" are expected to continue breaking down political and social barriers, with the last two to three years considered the "best years for LGBT people in America" despite temporary reactionary laws.
- The sports sector faces ongoing challenges regarding recruitment and cultural factors in male and female categories, though leadership signals from commissioners and NCAA officials are expected to foster a more inclusive culture.
- Strategic partnerships between business and government are expected to leverage economic development arguments to produce change while avoiding political blowback, and initiatives like "Out Leadership" are projected to continue providing tools to CEOs for global engagement.
- Companies are expected to shift from assimilation to celebrating difference to enhance decision-making, while local operations in places like Pakistan may see transgender individuals facing fewer hurdles than gay or lesbian individuals due to perceived fluidity in sexuality identification.
- Pulling out of specific markets is expected to be counterproductive to changing local cultures, with advocates arguing that companies must operate "from the inside" to influence local workforces rather than removing themselves from the environment.