Issue #35 Monday, 22 January 2024
Welcome to the latest issue of the LGBT Great News Digest, a short briefing on the 5 LGBTQ+ news stories that you need to know about right now. Firstly, here are three upcoming LGBT Great updates for you:
1 – Discover 4 Types of Mentors in the Workplace – Building Awareness 2 – LGBT Great Recognised by SME Finance Awards – Spread the Word We are proud to announce our remarkable achievement as the winner of the SME Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award in the prestigious SME Finance Awards. A big thank you to our Corporate Members, Partners and Colleagues for your unwaivering dedication and unwavering support -- it is you who have made this win possible! Read the News Release | Share the Social Post 3 – Welcome to Clara O’Connor (she/her), Appointed at LGBT Great – New Joiner We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Clara O'Connor to the LGBT Great team. Clara joins us from Accenture’s strategy and consulting practice to strengthen our account management, strategic operations, and efficiency capabilities. Read this interview to discover more about Clara and her perspectives as a proud queer woman. Read the Interview Best wishes, LGBT Great Team ___ Enjoyed this Digest? Click HERE to provide your feedback. |
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| 1. New study shows leaders in financial services "overconfident" on D&I strategies |
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On 3 January 2024, KPMG released new research, which found that 55% of leaders in financial services believe that they are "ahead" of other companies in the sector regarding D&I strategies. Additionally, 38% of the respondents thought they were "on par" with their counterparts. _____ Our View: Ethnic diversity (38%) and gender and socioeconomic diversity (33%) remain areas of focus, according to the respondents. However, no mention of LGBTQ+-specific diversity was made, a trend which is all too common. We hope to see reports of this kind expanding their focus to explicitly include LGBTQ+ DE&I by default, rather than as an addition.
The FCA’s consultative paper for D&I regulation is another example where LGBTQ+ protections and thresholds are referenced but could to be more explicitly and deliberately enhanced. In December 2023, LGBT Great provided a formal response to the FCA and PRA, outlining our suggestions for methods through which the regulator might encourage more deliberate and targeted change in this area. To read our response in full, click here. |
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| 2. Gabriel Attal makes history by becoming France’s first out Prime Minister |
| On 9 January 2024, Gabriel Attal was appointed as France's Prime Minister, succeeding Elisabeth Borne. This makes him the first openly gay individual to hold the seat. _____ Our View: We hope that Attal stands to enhance protections, policies and rights of LGBTQ+ further in the months to come as he settles into this seat. France's recent history as a leading force in LGBTQ+ rights, evidenced by its consistently high ranking on the ILGA Rainbow Index, demonstrates that this work has already begun.
Moreover, Attal also happens to be France's youngest Prime Minister, a clear role model for young LGBTQ+ people across France and more broadly. To read more about how the impact that positive role models have on the LGBTQ+ community, click here.
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| 3. New research finds LGBTQ+ individuals experience stigma and discrimination |
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On 3 January 2024, new research published in BioMed Centre (part of Springer Nature) found that LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of substance use and disorders compared to heterosexual and cisgender populations. However, LGBTQ+ people also experience significantly higher rates of stigma and discrimination within substance use support services. This includes higher rates of service denial, misgendering, lack of intervention in peer bullying and assumptions about participants’ sexuality. _____ Our View: The 2020 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 1 in 3 LGB adults have a substance abuse disorder. Another study found that the use of any drug was 3.6 times higher for trans & non-binary folks when compared to cisgender people.
Irrespective of the causal factors influencing these higher rates of substance use, it is worrying to see data that paints a picture of LGBTQ+ people experiencing discrimination whilst actively trying to seek treatment and support.
For us in the corporate world, we are reminded of the importance of inclusive care and support (formal and informal, pastoral and medical) when it comes to supporting underrepresented communities at work.
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| 4. US Supreme Court rules against Indiana trans youth bathroom case |
| On 16 January 2024, the US Supreme Court declined a Writ of Certiorari for an Indiana case centred on barring transgender students from using a bathroom that reflected their gender identity. _____ Our View: 2023 was a tumultuous year for LGBTQ+ rights in the US, with 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills enacted, the majority of which targeted gender-affirming care and bathroom legalities against trans youth.
Hopefully, the Indiana case ruling sets the stage and precedent here for 2024 to be a year of progress for trans and non-binary protections in the country rather than defined by further erosion of crucial trans and non-binary protections.
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| 5. Taiwan elects first out LGBTQ+ legislator |
| On 13 January 2024, Huang Jie, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, won Kaohisung’s 6th District seat in the Legislative Yuan with a 51% vote during the 2024 national elections, making her the first out LGBTQ+ legislator in Taiwanese history. _____ Our View: Taiwan is the only country in Asia with same-sex marriage equality. Looking beyond the legalities momentarily, this electoral win also reflects the accepting and celebratory public sentiment that the Taiwanese people hold for the LGBTQ+ community.
With an openly out legislator fighting for LGBTQ+ equality backed by the people of Taiwan, we hope this marks the next wave of LGBTQ+ progress across Taiwan in the months to come.
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| Upcoming 2023 Events & Webinars |
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Applications for new Corporate Members are currently open. If you would like to find out more about the membership options with LGBT Great, get in touch today via this short form. |
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Disclaimer The information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by LGBT Great and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the newsletter or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in the newsletter for any purpose. All the quotations in the news are presented as originally published. LGBT Great does not necessarily share the views of the quoted authors and is not responsible for the accuracy of the information or quality of the analysis provided by them. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. |
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