In the 10 years since Jason Rae founded the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, he has seen his vision of “changing hearts and minds through business” become reality. Rae believes business has consistently led the way when it comes to advancing society.
To date, more than 675 Wisconsin businesses have signed on as official members of the chamber, which provides a job board and career fairs for companies looking to be strategic about recruiting LGBT talent as well as trainings to help make companies more inclusive.
One cornerstone of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber’s work is helping members create LGBT-focused affinity groups, or business resource groups, within their organizations. Under the model, members gather regularly, are empowered by the employer to become internal advocates for change and get directly involved in guiding company policy — from reviewing internal documents to proposing new benefits.
Oshkosh Corp. launched the Oshkosh Pride and Equality Network, or OPEN, a little over a year ago, adding to a roster of what are now seven special interest business resource groups within the company. OPEN co-chair April Hershman, the company’s director of simplification, says the group of about 40 Oshkosh employees has already made significant progress: hosting a “Day of Understanding” event, publishing gender transition guidelines, adding an LGBT supplier diversity classification and ensuring the company’s family-related benefits apply to same-sex partners. Along the way the company has found support and partnership from the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber, Human Rights Campaign and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and is now actively seeking opportunities to partner with LGBT youth organizations so it can focus on future workers.
“There are some high schools that are more progressive in caring for the LGBT community than workplaces in Wisconsin,” Hershman says. “Imagine coming from that inclusive environment to a workplace where you say, ‘Gosh, I don’t feel like I belong here.’”
Hershman says she expects OPEN’s work in the new year to be more visible on an everyday basis, with increased trainings for employees and accessibility of gender-neutral bathrooms. In fact, being the stepparent of a transgender child who has faced bathroom discrimination is a big reason she got involved with OPEN.
“We’re all on a journey. The people in our group really wanted to be pioneers in this space,” Hershman says. “We do this work because we know it’s going to impact at least one person.”
Until 2020, transgender workers could still get fired for being trans in many Wisconsin communities, and Rae acknowledges it is a population that still faces higher hurdles than lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. And because of health care needs, Rae says it is a community that is frequently denied choice about when to come out.
“You may not be ready to tell the world, but because of certain procedures or medications, you may have to go ahead and divulge that information to HR,” he says.
And regardless of orientation, coming out is still a major issue. A 2018 Human Rights Campaign study showed that 46% of LGBT workers nationwide were not out at work. Rae says he found the statistic shocking, but both he and Hershman have anecdotes to support the notion that there are still many Wisconsinites who do not feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work, even after many decades of service and in places where the CEO flies a rainbow flag for Pride Month every June.
“There are a lot of companies that have made great statements about the importance of this work, but it’s not until they empower folks that they see the progress,” Rae says. “That’s where we have room to grow at many companies. We can do better, and it’s about growing. We’re still far away from full inclusion in the workplace for any group.”
