The Inclusion Imperative

Post 12/13 True #inclusion must always have one eye on #intersectionality. Only by addressing ALL barriers can organisations and teams truly foster the #belonging through which the potential value of difference – whether demographic or experiential – can be unlocked, empowering individuals to be and bring their best selves to the workplace dynamic. With that in mind, throughout October I will be celebrating and showcasing inspiring #Black #LGBTQ+ people. This is because October is both: ► LGBTQ+ History Month in the US and Canada (where I now live) – designed to recognise #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) people, and their allies, who have had an impact on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history; and ► Black History Month in the UK (where I am from) – which is intended to promote and celebrate the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage to society, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of #Black history generally. Today, I would like to spotlight American civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin. Rustin was a close friend of, and advisor to, Martin Luther King Jr. But, having been arrested for homosexual activity and required to register as a sex offender in 1953 (for which he was posthumously pardoned in 2020), Bayard received little recognition or attention – despite the fact that it was actually he who organised the famous 1963 March on Washington. This was a deliberate ploy, because it was feared that people opposed civil rights progress might seek to exploit Rustin’s sexuality by spreading lies about his relationship with Dr King, to erode support for their cause. In 2013, Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, for his activism. His life was the subject of a biographical movie, ‘Rustin’, in 2023, which garnered nominations from multiple award ceremonies, including the Oscars, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Award. #LGBTHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

We're thrilled to announce the amazing organization, "The Inclusion Imperative" partnering with us to promote the 7th annual Diversity & Inclusion Research Conference (#DIRC24). Their support is instrumental in advancing our mission to foster meaningful conversations around DEI. Join us on October 30, either online or in person at the University of Georgia, as we focus on the anti-DEI backlash and what to do about it. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gG_dyEdj #DIRC24 #DISMForum #DEI CC: Paolo Gaudiano

Post 11/13 True #inclusion must always have one eye on #intersectionality. Only by addressing ALL barriers can organisations and teams truly foster the #belonging through which the potential value of difference – whether demographic or experiential – can be unlocked, empowering individuals to be and bring their best selves to the workplace dynamic. With that in mind, throughout October I will be celebrating and showcasing inspiring #Black #LGBTQ+ people. This is because October is both: ► LGBTQ+ History Month in the US and Canada (where I now live) – designed to recognise #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) people, and their allies, who have had an impact on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history; and ► Black History Month in the UK (where I am from) – which is intended to promote and celebrate the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage to society, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of #Black history generally. Today, I would like to spotlight someone alongside whom I am beyond honoured to be featured on this year Pride Power List, published annually by The Guardian newspaper: Ncuti Gatwa. After his stellar performances as Otis’ long-suffering gay best friend, Eric, in ‘Sex Education’, Ncuti is now the 15th incarnation of Doctor Who (a show which I have watched since the early 1970s). He is the first Black actor – and, having come out as #queer in an interview with ELLE Magazine in 2023, the first LGBTQ+ actor – to take on that iconic role. Through his acting roles and his visibility, Ncuti is a beacon of inspiration, not least to a great many young Black LGBTQ+ people who may have faced particularly high cultural or societal barriers to embracing their authentic selves. #LGBTHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

Post 10/13 True #inclusion must always have one eye on #intersectionality. Only by addressing ALL barriers can organisations and teams truly foster the #belonging through which the potential value of difference – whether demographic or experiential – can be unlocked, empowering individuals to be and bring their best selves to the workplace dynamic. With that in mind, throughout October I will be celebrating and showcasing inspiring #Black #LGBTQ+ people. This is because October is both: ► LGBTQ+ History Month in the US and Canada (where I now live) – designed to recognise #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) people, and their allies, who have had an impact on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history; and ► Black History Month in the UK (where I am from) – which is intended to promote and celebrate the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage to society, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of #Black history generally. Today, I would like to spotlight American poet and writer, Audre Lorde. Aptly self-described as a “Black, lesbian, feminist, mother, poet, warrior," Laude used her writing to tackle injustices, not least by progressing understanding of feminism, race and sexuality. Lorde’s writing heavily leaned on the "theory of difference": the concept that a binary portrayal of the human experience – primarily between men and women, but capable of extrapolation to multiple situations – is excessively simplistic and unrepresentative. This is quite foundational to the thinking which I share with my clients at The Inclusion Imperative: that difference is something to be celebrated rather than diminished or erased, and that embracing difference is, ultimately, the source of all progress. #LGBTHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

Pride in Tennis, of which I am proud to be the #Treasurer and #BoardMember, is offering a free online webinar where we explain how you can make your #tennis venue become more #LGBTQ+ inclusive. Whether you're a tennis coach, a volunteer, an official or part of the tennis workforce then this webinar is for you! During this interactive session, we'll discuss various strategies and ideas to elevate your tennis venue's atmosphere, creating an #inclusive and welcoming space for all players and fans. We'll also talk about: 🎾🏳️🌈 A guide to inclusive language 🎾🏳️🌈 Health inequalities for LGBTQ+ people 🎾🏳️🌈 Barriers preventing LGBTQ+ people getting involved in sports. 🎾🏳️🌈 The importance of Role Models and Allies 🎾🏳️🌈 The benefits of an all inclusive programme From enhancing facilities to fostering a sense of community, we'll cover it all. Discover how to create an environment that celebrates diversity, encourages participation, and promotes equality in the world of tennis. Once the webinar has finished we will share (at no cost) our "Rally Allies" resource pack with each attendee, giving everyone the tools they need to make their tennis venue more inclusive: 🎾🏳️🌈 To dress your venue: progress flag, rainbow bunting and a rainbow charter 🎾🏳️🌈 For the coach, captain or workforce to wear: rainbow laces and sweatbands 🎾🏳️🌈 For a pride themed event: rainbow dampeners, stickers, face paint and an advice sheet. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to understand how you can take pride into your tennis venue! The 2-hour webinar will takes place at both 10am and 6.30pm (UK time) on Tuesday 19 November 2024. Reserve your place through this link: https://lnkd.in/gyhjduZR #DEI #DEIB #inclusion #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

Post 9/13 True #inclusion must always have one eye on #intersectionality. Only by addressing ALL barriers can organisations and teams truly foster the #belonging through which the potential value of difference – whether demographic or experiential – can be unlocked, empowering individuals to be and bring their best selves to the workplace dynamic. With that in mind, throughout October I will be celebrating and showcasing inspiring #Black #LGBTQ+ people. This is because October is both: ► LGBTQ+ History Month in the US and Canada (where I now live) – designed to recognise #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) people, and their allies, who have had an impact on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history; and ► Black History Month in the UK (where I am from) – which is intended to promote and celebrate the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage to society, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of #Black history generally. Today, I would like to spotlight someone who, sadly, I never got to meet, but who blazed a trail during an era and in a profession that were both extraordinarily harsh for LGBTQ+ people: Justin Fashanu. Justin was an incredible football (soccer) player who, in 1981, became the first black player ever to command a £1 million transfer fee. Then, in 1990, he came out as gay – the professional footballer in the UK ever to do so. He paid a heavy price. Amid a tsumani of homophobia for which he later admitted he was unprepared, including from his famed team manager, Brian Clough, Justin was publicly disowned (and branded an “outcast”) by his own brother, fellow professional footballer John Fashanu. Tragically, in 1998, aged just 37, Justin died by suicide. He was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020. With that example, small wonder it took until 2022 for any other professional footballers in the UK to come out as gay, when Jake Daniels and Zander Murray did so. Happily, a positive legacy arose from this tragedy. Justin’s niece (daughter of John, who belatedly apologised for his treatment of Justin), Amal, is the founder and CEO of the The Justin Fashanu Foundation, through which she works to combat #homophobia in sport. #LGBTHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

Post 8/13 True #inclusion must always have one eye on #intersectionality. Only by addressing ALL barriers can organisations and teams truly foster the #belonging through which the potential value of difference – whether demographic or experiential – can be unlocked, empowering individuals to be and bring their best selves to the workplace dynamic. With that in mind, throughout October I will be celebrating and showcasing inspiring #Black #LGBTQ+ people. This is because October is both: ► LGBTQ+ History Month in the US and Canada (where I now live) – designed to recognise #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) people, and their allies, who have had an impact on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history; and ► Black History Month in the UK (where I am from) – which is intended to promote and celebrate the contributions of people with African and Caribbean heritage to society, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of #Black history generally. Today, I would like to spotlight the American novelist, playwright, essayist and poet James Baldwin. Baldwin used his platform to become a leading activist and voice of the American civil rights movement and showed himself to be ahead of his time in understanding the #nonbinary nature of sexual orientation and attraction. His writing explored racial and social issues, and his 1956 novel, ‘Giovanni's Room’, which depicted an American living in Paris, was groundbreaking in that it offered a layered and complex depiction of homosexuality and bisexuality, which was very much taboo at that time. Baldwin was open about his sexuality and his relationships with both women and men, despite homosexuality being illegal at the time. He was an ahead-of-his-time exponent of seeing sexuality as fluid rather than binary, which these days is understood to more accurately represent the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity than does the binary-based social construct. #LGBTHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

Today is Spirit Day. Started in my adopted homeland of Canada in 2010 in response to a spate of suicides by bullied gay students, it is an annual reminder of the destructiveness of #bullying, #harassment and #discrimination. In this case, the bullying is of #LGBTQ+ (or #2SLGBTQIA+) individuals; but the principles apply much more broadly. Because #bullying happens in all multiple context and in forums – including at work, at school, socially and online. Bullying is a terrible symptom of affinity #bias in extremis – and is the polar opposite of the celebration of difference on which the foundations of any enriching environment (including the workplace) are built. CREATIVE destruction, as espoused by Joseph Schumpeter, is to be welcomed as essential to ongoing development and improvement. But bullying, harassment and discrimination instead trigger REACTIONARY destruction – killing any sense of #belonging and #PsychologicalSafety, which are essential ingredients in team synergy. In a team context (not least in the workplace) bullying, harassment and discrimination therefore destroy not only the #wellbeing of the individual targeted, but also any hope that the team can operate optimally and, ultimately, successfully. Having personally suffered the effects of workplace bullying – not only from co-workers but also, distressingly, at times even from executives and senior leaders – for various points of difference (not just my #SexualOrientation) during my career, I am acutely aware of its corrosive effects, both to my own wellbeing and to the value which I was able to contribute to the teams in which I worked. This awareness led me to push back again this, both by serving for three years as a #Trustee of an excellent UK-based anti-bullying charity, Diversity Role Models, and ultimately by founding my #DEI consultancy, The Inclusion Imperative, to help businesses understand embrace the future-proofing potential of celebrating, rather than vilifying, difference. So please, everyone: make today the start of a renewed, active commitment to eradicate bullying, in all its forms and in all forums. Because NO situation is EVER improved by bullying. #SpiritDay #DEIB #inclusion #InclusionMatters

Today is International Pronouns Day. Pronouns are core to human identity. Making the effort to address or refer to people by the #pronouns they use is therefore an acknowledgement of human dignity, and respectful of basic human rights. So today, #InternationalPronounsDay, seeks to raise awareness of these fundamental principles, and thereby encourage their adoption by more and more people. Why does this matter? The pay-off from this is the creation of a more #inclusive environment, whether at work or elsewhere – not least for people whose gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth. For people who do not share those particular minority characteristics, this is an opportunity both to celebrate the enriching, pollinating impact of contextual difference, and to show real support through #allyship. Being an active #ally, rather than dismissing any issue as an SEP (“Someone Else’s Problem”), is critical because – although difference is clearly the lifeblood of progress and future-proofing – it has far too often been treated as quite the opposite, i.e. something to be opposed, feared and even eradicated. So, as Pastor Martin Niemoller’s famous poem, ‘First They Came’, emphasises, allyship is not just altruism, because ultimately the only thing we as humans all have in common is our uniqueness – we are ALL different. Committing to using the correct pronouns (as an ongoing practice, not just today of course) is an excellent way to help everyone see difference as the constructive, developmental and synergistic positive that it actually is. My name is Geff, and I use he/him pronouns. How about you? #MyPronounsAre #ShareYourPronouns #DEI #DEIB #inclusion #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative

"DEI isn't just about doing the right thing morally; it's about ensuring your business thrives in a diverse marketplace." 1BusinessWorld "Let’s not look at diversity [just] as a social programme; let’s look at diversity as a business imperative. Who’s going to have the innovation to make your products? Who’s going to have the innovation to sell your products? And [critically…], who’s going to buy your products? If you don’t have a team that is able to bring those views to bear, you’re probably not going to be as effective." Herman Bulls, Vice Chairman Americas, JLL https://lnkd.in/gs5h6mnv #DEI #DEIB #inclusion #InclusionMatters The Inclusion Imperative