LGBTQxBLM

 

Hummingbird Humanity videos now with captioning.

In this episode, the Hummingbird Community covers. . .

  • The importance of hiring Black Trans talent for decision making roles, and resources on exactly how to do so.
  • The ways influencers can responsibly be a part of the public conversation on race relations. 
  • The dangers of ignoring race when centering LGBTQIA+ people.

     

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    Peppermint, Rana, & Sean encourage corporations wishing to do brand and philanthropic partnerships with the LGBTQIA+ community to: 

    • Expand campaigns outside of Pride month and to capture the LGBTQIA+ community’s human experience year-round. There is no such thing as a normal campaign, there are human campaigns. 
    • Invite LGBTQIA+ community leaders & activists to rooms that build strategy. Compensate these persons for contributing their perspectives and ideas, as opposed to requesting a free favor.
    • Follow the LGBTQIA+ community’s definition of “action” or “change” and not assume or define it themselves. 
    • View different oppressions as related. The LGBTQIA+ community’s needs also include movements like BLM and #MeToo. Addressing issues and communities as intersecting together with one another is key to making a difference in this new age of accountability.

      Leaning Into Humanity

      My company wants to conduct a corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnership with an LGBTQIA+ entity. Where should we start?

      If you are looking to be of service to others, a surprising place to start is within your company. How significant is your company’s representation of LGBTQIA+ employees, particularly LGBTQIA+ employees who are Black or persons of color? Or even Black Trans people? Are they in mid-level and senior leadership roles? Is your workplace

      retaining these persons? These questions are vital because organizations striving to empower LGBTQIA+ people outside of their organizations should practice empowerment within. People are not numbers, they are humans. 

      Providing a more human experience to your LGBTQIA+ employees will make CSR partnerships easier to do. Sean Coleman, the Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow, implores corporations to not solely partner with well-funded organizations and instead give back to smaller LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations that do not have multi-million dollar budgets. Focusing on these lower resource grassroots organizations is true equity.

      For leaders to increase their cultural competence, Brian suggests for leaders to lean on the power of language as an educational and communicative tool: 

      “There is so much language that is unfamiliar or uncomfortable and new for us. One of those is just acknowledging identities and using words like the Black community. We are taught to not do that so much as we grow up in this country. The intentionality behind it I would like to believe is good, but it actually erases some of the conversations that we need to have. So I am continuing to develop my own comfort and confidence with using some of the language and words. And I suspect that will continue. You won’t develop the confidence unless you start somewhere.”

      For resources on how to source and retain diverse talent, these two sites are compilations of job boards for diverse candidates across many different industries:

      The Top 20 Job Boards for Diversity Hiring

      These 21 Companies are Connecting Employers to Diverse Pools of Talent

      Sean Coleman, Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow, the Bronx LGBTQ Center serving the community’s most vulnerable to empower them to thrive in a better tomorrow. Outside of GED support and career readiness, Destination Tomorrow is also a navigator for healthcare and housing needs for Black & Brown LGBTQ folx.

      Rana Reeves, Founder of RanaVerse, which brings brand diversity through intersecting commerce and culture for top brands like Equinox, Coach, Gap, & GMC. Rana is no stranger to tapping into the power of diverse influencers and cultural figures to inspire awareness for marginalized communities.

      Peppermint, a cultural force taking the world by storm from RuPaul’s Drag Race to now opening doors for trans women in every arena within entertainment. Peppermint’s skill in acting and performance has led her to stardom on Broadway, Saturday Night Live, FX’s Pose, and most notably, the international drag world. She encapsulates the historical creativity and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community through her cultural presence and outspoken activism. Follow Peppermint on Instagram and YouTube!