After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the PROUTATWORK Foundation was finally able to organize the DINNER BEYOND BUSINESS again. For the fifth time, more than 35 senior executives from major German and international business companies and institutions met – this time at Google’s headquarters in Hamburg. Among them were representatives from Accenture, BASF, Clifford Chance, Commerzbank AG, Ernst & Young, KPMG, LaSalle, Linde, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sandoz, Sodexo and UniCredit. With a beautiful view and sunny weather, the participants of the information and networking event enjoyed an exclusive dinner in an informal atmosphere. The highlight of the event was the 45-minute talk with keynote speaker Margot Slattery, which focused on the importance of the commitment of companies and their executives to the LGBT*IQ community..

At the beginning of the talk, Margot Slattery gave private insights into her professional career. She described her outing as a personal liberating blow, because for the first half of her professional life she was not yet outed as a lesbian and therefore could not be as free and productive as she was able to be in the second half of her career. However, Margot feels that her coming out was not only a liberating blow for herself, but also a duty, because it allowed her to serve as a role model for colleagues. In this context, the speaker also speaks of the enormous importance of Allys, because it is not enough to “just” tolerate. Queer people need supporters who fight alongside them for an open society. According to Slattery, it is the duty of management to promote diversity in professional life, both internally and externally, for example by supporting NGOs.

Finally, Margot Slattery summarizes that a lot has already happened in terms of diversity and inclusion, but warns against resting on our laurels. If we do not continue to fight consistently and loudly, we will come to a standstill or, in the worst case, even regress.

Recording of the talk with Margot Slattery

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How can i join the campaign?

• Inform yourself and speak to lesbian persons both inside your Network and outside, to raise awareness for the campaign.
• Take a portrait photo, orienting yourself on our examples, with your Tablet. It doesn´t matter if it is printed or digital. You´re welcome to use shades of grey instead of color for your portrait. (Make sure you´re allowed to use the logo of your company with your employer. If not, you may also use the company name, or hand your photo in without it.)
• Post your own campaign-photo on April 26 2023 at 10:00 AM, including the hashtags and taggings of your primary Social Media Channels.

Position your company as a supporter of the campaign and for Lesbian Visibility, and animate employees to take part.

This campaign was initiated by the PROUT AT WORK-Foundation and LGBT*IQ business-networks.

Tips for lesbian persons:

A Lesbian Coming out can still be tied to discrimination and hardships. If it helps you,

• look for Allies / Role Models in the company.
• network with the LGBT*IQ-network.
• look for support in dealing with discrimination and ill-fitting comments.
• always remember: You pick the time and place for your Coming Out.

Tips for companies:

• create sensibility for unconscious bias
• create clear expectation profiles
• anonymize applying for jobs
• Build/Strenghten internal LGBT*IQ-Networks

More information to the listed points can be found in the study “The L-Word in Business”, which deals with the situation of lesbian women in a work environment-with tips for employers.

TIps for Allies

• Inform yourself about lesbian topics.
• Use gender-inclusive language.
• Do not fetishize lesbian relationships.
• Stand up for the rights and against discrimination of Lesbian People. For example support the action nodoption, which works against the adoption of stepchildren and for the acception of Parentage in Rainbow Families.

Counseling:

The nearly 20 participants from numerous large law firms traveled from all over Germany and were guests of co-initiator Dentons in Frankfurt for an afternoon. In the form of a workshop, they worked together on specific framework conditions and challenges in the industry. In addition to the idea of networking, there were also a number of substantive topics on the agenda: In small groups, the participants discussed issues surrounding the special challenges of law firms with a focus on the topics of networking, out executives and allies and how these challenges can be met. Visibility, sustainability and the special decision-making process in partner-led law firms were identified as major keywords – top-down solutions from the business world may not be transferable here, but require a specific approach that takes into account the organizational structure of law firms.

Language – especially gender-sensitive language and legal language – is also a topic that D&I managers, networkers, partners and allies in law firms deal with: Are there (legal) frameworks and restrictions for the use of gender-sensitive language in contracts, official letters or communication with clients? Are there formal or informal rules on internal and/or external communication? How are these implemented?

The third large block of the agenda covered the topics of business case & measurability. Exciting discussions about different cultural and legal aspects in the USA and Europe / Germany, for example with regard to the German Data Protection Act (DSGVO), developed as well as exchanges about the use of feedback / survey results both in the concrete implementation and evaluation of measures and for internal business cases.

The will for joint initiatives, the overarching enthusiasm for the topic, and the determined networking among the participants once again showed how valuable the exchange is. The focus was primarily on the legal framework for data collection in Germany (keyword DSGVO), as well as the mutual influence of corporate culture and trust in employee surveys on the topic of diversity, as well as on areas of application of collected data. Interesting discussions unfolded on the topic of the business case including corporate culture ‘for the sake of it’.

PROUT AT WORK would like to thank all participants and co-initiator Dentons for the exciting exchange at this successful kick-off event! With the aim to build networks and to enable sustainable exchange and work on projects, LGBT*IQ in Law will take place about 3x / year.

On the occasion of this year’s TDoV, we want to present you with the books “Being Human” by Alice Oehninger and “Ich bin Linus: Wie ich der Mann wurde, der ich schon immer war” by Linus Giese, the movie “Trans – I Got Life” and the MyStory’s by Hanna Brungs and Marit Wiechmann, personal stories of trans* people, but also tips and information about trans* at the workplace via our How To Guide No. 9 “Trans* and Transitions at the Workplace”.

ICH BIN LINUS: WIE ICH DER MANN WURDE, DER ICH SCHON IMMER WAR By LINUS GIESE

Bein Human – An Autobiography by Alice Oehninger

Trans – I Got Life

Creating a trans*-Inclusive Business – How To Guide Nr. 9

Night of Realization – MyStory with Hanna

TRANS* IS SOMETHING WONDERFUL – MyStory with MArit Wiechmann

Update March 22, 2023

On March 20, the Queer Representative of the Federal Government Sven Lehmann welcomed to the launch event of the Aktionsplan “Queer Leben” in Berlin. PROUT AT WORK, together with numerous organizations, belongs to the circle of those who bring the action plan to life.

The aim of the event was to launch the official implementation of the action plan. The more than 200 participants from various associations and organizations exchanged ideas and formed working groups, which in turn will discuss the concrete implementation of the action plan’s projects in the coming months.

Prior to the event, 78 civil society organizations were selected from more than 140 applications in order to bring as many different perspectives as possible to the working groups. We are very pleased that PROUT AT WORK is also one of the selected organizations and will be represented by our board member Albert Kehrer.

The launch event as well as the formation of working groups represent the first necessary steps towards the implementation of the action plan for a queer-friendly society and we are looking forward to placing important topics around LGBT*IQ in the workplace there in the future.

THE AKTIONsPLAN IN THE WORK CONTEXT

In addition to topics such as the Self-Determination Act, the reform of the Parentage Act, and blood donation, other issues important to the work context were also addressed under the heading of “participation”. These include the following measures:

• Expansion of the diversity topic pillar as part of the “New Quality of Work (INQA)” initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS);
• Research projects on the situation/discrimination of LGBT*IQ in the world of work as well as improving the promotion of projects for acceptance;
• Development of a guideline for employers that includes the recommendations for action of two studies on the “Third Option” in a comprehensible way for use in everyday work;
• Sensitization of employers, trainers, employee representatives for the concerns of LGBT*IQ employees and applicants;
• Support for raising awareness of LGBT*IQ issues in in-company training;
• Establishment of a dialogue process (federal government, states, collective bargaining parties, church employers) on improving the working conditions of LGBTIQ* in institutions of churches and religious communities;
• Promotion of diversity management in the federal public service;

Additional measures in the area of federal administration:

• Development of an internal federal diversity strategy (incl. creation of further training opportunities, support for the establishment and networking of employee networks and a strategy for diversity-sensitive personnel selection procedures);
• Implementation of diversity issues (incl. LGBT*IQ/gender identity) in initial, further and advanced training (e.g. qualification measures by the Federal Ministry of Defense [BMVg] in civilian and military training and by the Federal Foreign Office in training in the Foreign Service); Regularly strengthening the educational and advisory competence of the social service in the Bundeswehr on the diversity issue; Conducting systematic baseline analyses on the situation of LGBT*IQ (e.g., with the help of employee surveys);
• Sensitization of employees to implicit prejudices and integration in competence requirements/competence models;
• Sensitization and, if necessary, training of employees involved in recruitment processes;

For more information about the plan “Queer Leben”, feel free to drop by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

For more information around trans* in the workplace, the third option, and other workplace related LGBT*IQ topics, we encourage you to check out our free HOW TO guides.

This year, for the first time, the German Bundestag is focusing on queer victims of National Socialism during the hour of remembrance on January 27. As a foundation that advocates for LGBTIQ people in the workplace and their rights, we welcome this novelty. Especially because the struggle for rights and protections under the law for LGBTIQ people can be far from over.

For example, Paragraph 175, which legitimized the persecution and imprisonment of homosexual people in the Nazi regime, was adopted by the Federal Republic after the end of the war. In the FRG and the GDR, homosexuals continued to be persecuted on this basis for decades. Homosexuality has not been punishable in the reunified Federal Republic until 1994.

More information on the situation of queer people in the NS

At the heart of this declaration is the universal validity of fundamental rights that every human being has from birth and that are independent of origin, gender, religion, worldview, culture or other affiliations. 

The principles laid down include, for example, the right to life, liberty and security, a ban on slavery and torture, freedom of thought, belief and expression, the right to education, work, health and many others, such as the right to citizenship and political participation.

For the first time in history, rights were formulated that should apply equally to every human being. Nevertheless, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not binding under international law. It is true that many states (such as the Federal Republic of Germany) have decided to base their constitutions on human rights and thus make them legally binding in part. However, there is no globally valid obligation, e.g. even beyond the United Nations, to observe human rights, nor are there any bodies that could guarantee enforcement.

Especially against this background, the International Human Rights Day is an important moment to remind that these universal rights are far from being universally enforced. Human rights are perhaps the most important yardstick and basis for creating a democratic world in which all people are equal before the state, the law and their fellow human beings. Therefore, we as a foundation also make it clear that our issue, equal opportunities for LGBT*IQ in the (working) world, must be understood as an issue of human rights and human dignity. We join this year’s slogan of the International Human Rights Day and stand up for

„Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All“!

You can find information on this year’s slogan and International Human Rights Day at United Nations:

The symbolism behind the Asexuality flag:

•             Black stands for asexuality

•             Greysymbolizes the asexual spectrum

•             white represents sexuality

•            purple stands for community

The symbolism behind the Aromantic flag:

•             Dark and light green represent the aromantic spectrum

•             white symbolizes platonic relationships

•             Grey and black stand for the asexual spectrum