Fabrice Houdart | A weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality
This week: trans swimming, PinkDot in Singapore, the Lightyear censorship, UN IESOGIE's mandate renewal, 6 tips to join a Corporate Board, Gilead and GLAAD, the return of Rick Grenell and more…
Welcome to my new weekly equality news digest, where I share important (and less important) news, updates, and commentary about the global LGBTQ+ equality movement at the intersection with business.
Questions, feedback, and comments are always welcome.
As I am starting a new distribution list this month, I would be grateful if you could share it with your network to continue helping us move the LGBTQ+ equality conversation forward.
Global News
FINA: Swimming while trans, a policy everybody agrees to hate
Sunday the swimming's world governing body, FINA, voted to ban the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's competitions. The new policy, which took effect that Monday, only allows trans athletes who have "completed" a transition by age 12. Opponents were quick to point out that in America at least, you lose either way: if you transition before 12, your parents risk losing their parental rights and after 12 you cannot compete. By opposition, the International Olympic Committee (OIC)’s policy relies on individual evidence related to unfair advantages. Read the response from our friends at Athlete Ally here.
Japan: the courts cannot make up their mind on marriage
With Japan being the only G-7 country without any form of country-wide same-sex civil union, the authorities are increasingly perceived as out of touch with supportive societal attitudes in the country. A recent decision contradicting the Sapporo decision was a blow to LGBTQ+ activists in the archipelago. Read about it here and here.
Singapore: PinkDot back in-person
More than 10,000 people turned up at Hong Lim Park on Saturday (as a reminder there are 6 million people in Singapore) in support of LGBTQ+ rally PinkDotSG, for the first time since 2019. In the meantime, guess which country felt Lightyear (see below) should be banned?
Asia: The Economist more positive than I am…
The Economist sees unmistakable signs that overall South-East Asia is beginning to accept same-sex relationships and lawmakers are also catching up (I guess that does not extend to regulators such as the Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority). You can read the article here.
Poland: Open for Business paints a nuanced picture
Our friends at Open For Business held their OFBPoland Summit yesterday with leaders and city officials from Warsaw, Wroclaw and Cracow. The gathering is another proof that the situation in the country is much more nuanced than headlines would have us believe. Open for Business champions the business case globally.
United Nations: renewing the Independent Expert’s mandate this month
Yoni Ish-Hurwitz at HRLO just posted a new blog titled “Renewing UN mandate to protect LGBTQI+ people”. I was at the UN in 2016 when the mandate was voted and vaguely remember attending a 3rd committee meeting the day before Christmas while our opponents, led by Russia of all countries, were fighting one last time the mandate. Created through Human Rights Council resolution 32/2 in June 2016 for an initial period of three years, the mandate was renewed in June 2019 under resolution 41/18. For another 3 years. So it’s basically coming up. It might be easiest this time around.
US News
SCOTUS: the depressing week ahead
A shell-shocked America is awaiting for the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, a draft of which was generously made available, possibly next Monday. In the meantime SCOTUS continued releasing bad opinions during this term (if you want to better understand everything SCOTUS, subscribe to Chris Geidner’s newsletter or follow Scotusblog on Twitter). Just this week, the Court eviscerated the Establishment Clause—demolishing the separation of church and state. Read here why this latest decision worries LGBTQ+ advocates.
More violence around Pride
Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in the US (supported by an emboldened retrograde fascist, ultra-religious, nationalist movement, let’s call a cat a cat) tinted Pride month and led to hate crimes. A Rainbow flag outside a home was set in fire in Baltimore injuring three people (two critically) and burning several homes. Police is investigating. Read about it here.
Biden’s Pride Month Executive Order
GenderCool Champions were standing behind President Biden (take that, State Farm!) last week as he signed a historic executive order to protect LGBTQ+ youth. You can read the White House statement on the Executive Order. The National Task Force was cautious in its endorsement. As for me, I wish Biden would push the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to define what it means by “diversity” (see below).
Texas: Republicans traveling back in time
The talk of the week was the regressive anti-LGBTQ+ platform of Republicans in Texas (read about it here too). Once a lawyer demanded my newsletter be more bipartisan. As Bob Witeck wrote in the Post this week:
It’s Pride season, and we deserve not to be tolerated, but to live free, secure and equal with all.
Seattle: the kids are not having it at SPU graduation
And finally on a more cheerful note, check out the creative graduation protest over Seattle Pacific University (SPU)'s lifestyle policy which prohibits professors in same-sex relationships. The graduates handed over rainbow flags to a dumbfounded dean.
In the Boardroom
My 6 concrete tips for LGBTQ+ aspiring board members
The market for LGBTQ+ candidates is about to get hot. Nom/Gov committees, Board recruiters and CEO/founders are increasingly seeking LGBTQ+ board-ready candidates. How will LGBTQ+ professionals get on their radar screen? I wrote a piece on Medium providing six concrete steps you can take to land your first board seat.
Bloomberg and US Today allude to abysmal representation in the boardroom
USA Today published a piece today on the topic featuring my friend Michael Camunez at Edison International. However, because nobody pays to go beyond their paywall, we will never know what it says. As for Bloomberg they quoted this bizarre The Conference Board study which claims that disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity of board members jumped from 6% to 22% but I don’t believe it (it would be great but that cannot be the case, I mean look at the list, prove me wrong). I will write about it when I figure out summer camp for the twins.
Prepping for the NASDAQ rule’s effectiveness date
August this year, NASDAQ is starting to require listed companies to comply with its Board diversity requirements including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or explain. A visionary game changer for the conversation on LGBTQ+ Board representation which stagnated until now.
When will Gensler define diversity?
I loved the Biden Pride EO but it is time for the US to include LGBTQ+ in the “Standards for Assessing the Diversity Policies and Practices of Entities Regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission”. Gensler kind of promised but not sure where it stands.
The Gay Business
ESG on a Sunday
I just subscribed to ESG on A Sunday. It had me with this sentence:
Retail investors are slowly starting to look under the hood of the $40 trillion ESG industry that’s increasingly steering their savings, and many aren’t liking what they see.
Gilead: is GLAAD about to drop a top sponsor?
In its new recommendation for Corporate Allies, a 3-page booklet, GLAAD seemed to be aiming directly at one of its top donor Gilead (a member of GLAAD’s “Million Dollar Lifetime Club”) embattled for donating to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and finding itself at the center of a lawsuit alleging it led gay men to ruin by illegally gauging HIV medication prices (read about the lawsuit here). GLAAD’s head was quoted as saying:
Corporate accountability […] extends to how a corporation […] takes public stands and lobbies against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and how it supports and lobbies for pro-LGBTQ+ legislation, because this legislation impacts LGBTQ+ employees and consumers.
Tesla: Elon Musk might be eradicating the “Woke Virus” at home
As part of the Tesla lay-offs due to Musk having a “super-bad feeling” about the economy, leaders of the LGBTQ+ ERG were let go. Some are wondering if this is part of Musk’s proclaimed war against the “Woke Virus”. Read about it here.
Disney: re-hashing the Florida drama
The Financial Times had another article on the Disney debacle this week. It delves on Geoff Morrell’s negative influence but also points out that Chapek never got the right advice. Several companies have taken steps to secure its expertise by setting up councils, including T-Mobile, GM, Abbott, Elsevier, Prada, the Morgan Stanley Institute, and Delivery Hero (KKR also just created an ESG Council). Barilla has had one for years which includes activist extraordinaire David Mixner. By securing external counsel on inclusion issues, companies can innovate, avoid blind spots, and send a clear message to employees, consumers, and investors that they are taking the issue at heart.
From the semi cultural-desk
Heartstopper: you don’t have to be sorry
I went back to watching Heartstopper at the suggestion of a dear friend. It contains a powerful message, also echoed in “Love, Victor”, about LGBTQ+ people’s misperception in childhood that we are “bad people”. Young gays, teenage gays, often feel like they are hurting those around them (parents, opposite-sex romantic partners, friends) and that contributes to make them feel worthless. There is a moment in Heartstopper, when Nick tells Charlie: “I want you stop saying sorry all the time. You have nothing to be sorry about”.
Happy Father’s Day particularly to my fellow single dads out there
I love this NPR Father’s Day article mentioning my friend Dustin Oliver Ling ! We, the growing number of single dads, are sometimes dismissed by the village in the spirit of “you made your bed, now lie in it”.
So what’s the deal with « Lightyear”?
I know it’s not your scene but this is something you must know about. Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear is the subject of a new Disney/Pixar movie. In the movie, a new female character Izzy Hawthorne is in a “meaningful” relationship (I don’t really know what “meaningful” means and am not even 100% sure I ever was in one of those besides maybe with the World Bank between 2001-2016) with another woman and a kiss occurs between them. Some countries like the UAE, Malaysia and Singapore (oh, Singapore…) have refused to release it in their countries because of it (see GLAAD’s comments). I am pretty sure that Marjorie Greene will say something witty about that kiss any moment now. You wait…
Ireland: rugby player comes out
Nick McCarthy, a professional rugby player for Leinster in Ireland, has come out publicly as gay. He said in his statement:
Leinster Rugby is built on brotherhood, and it’s important that we can be open and honest with each other
Rick Grenell is back… in Iowa
He is back. Grenell, who I once nicknamed the “Trump administration’s gay man equivalent of honorary white in apartheid South Africa” (I had to remove the tweet under duress but I stand by it, I got in trouble which is also the tile of my upcoming memoir), could be a running mate for Trump 2024. I think that possibility belongs in this section.
The Social Diary
US Ambassador to the United States
Friday evening, I went to the UN US Ambassador residence in Turtle Bay for a combined Pride/Juneteenth reception which was attended by an impeccably dressed Twaun Samuel of Moody’s, Krishna Omkar, Andre Thomas of Heritage Pride (whom I suspect to have a stunt double during Pride Month because he is everywhere at once), Jamila Thompson of the US Trade Representative office, and Kerry-Jo Ford Lyn of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice.
The Ambassador was charming and told me she did not know what side-eye is until this tweet accused her of giving some to the Russian Ambassador. I am not sure I believe here.
NASDAQ LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference
Yesterday I was Nasdaq in NYC for The OPEN’s Pride event celebrating the LGBTQ+ leaders in arts, culture and business such as Greg Sottolano, Deena Fidas, Sean Howell, Beth Ford, Andres Wydler, Yanzi Peng or Laurel Charleston who shape our community. In the audience, you could see Krishna Omkar, Wasim Ahmad, Brad Baumoel and many others. If you do not understand what Web3 is, ask Wasim or read this. Thank you to Yasir Fattah and The OPEN (Out Proud Employees of Nasdaq) for hosting me.
Crain's New York Business's notable 2022 LGBTQ leaders
I know I said “less VIP lists, please” and then rejoice when I am in one in the same way I am a socialist but get my PJs from Derek Rose and then have them tailored. My generation is one of egomaniacs. The company's name I am listed under might be outdated but very glad to be listed among Crain's New York Business's notable 2022 LGBTQ leaders along with my friends Karen Haycox, Abby Fiorella, Brad Baumoel, Zach Buchwald, Parag Mehta, John Rooney, Joe Solmonese and Joseph Taiano. See the full list here.
The Gay Agenda
June 28th at 12 pm EST: Ritchie Torres and Otho Kerr at Moody’s
I am supposed to be in France: if they let me travel but in recognition of Juneteenth and LGBTQ Pride Month, Moody’s Black Impact Group, ConectaMos, and Moody’s NY PRIDE BRG is hosting a special fireside chat with The Honorable Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Otho Kerr of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. They are both brilliant, visionary and authentic. Register here.
July 27-31: Global Black Pride in Toronto
Under the theme “Honouring our Past, Securing our Future”, Global Black Pride, is in July 27-31 in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2020, Global Black Pride is the first global Pride event that brings together Black LGBTQI+ communities across all continents. The 2022 edition will be the first-ever physical programming. My friend Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of the event, will be the grand Marshall. You can check it out here or here.
Coming and going
TheirWorld and an LGBTQ+-inclusive education
The global children's charity founded by Sarah Brown, Theirworld, is celebrating Pride by promoting the work of their 2,000 Global Youth Ambassadors (GYAs), aged 18 to 30, who are campaigning for inclusive LGBTQI+ education, a topic close to my heart (read why here).They are looking to recruit more young people and would welcome LGBTQ+ activists to apply. You can find out more here.
Santander’s Antonio Simoes returns to Madrid
Congrats to António Simões, CEO Santander España & Head of Europe, who announced his return to Madrid in a moving Father’s Day Post.
Please email fabrice@lgbtdirectors.com with any suggestions or requests. If you do not wish to continue receiving this newsletter, you can unsubscribe here. And please help me get new subscribers by sharing the newsletter….