Critical Models and Allies for LGBT Inclusion at Work

The human rights campaign reported last month that 46 percent of LGBT workers in the United States say they're still in the closet at work – versus 50 percent in a report similar 10 years ago. This slow progress is alarming, especially as the climate has improved considerably. Corporate policies incorporating LGBTs are becoming the minimum standard but many people still feel so uncomfortable that they fear being at work.

What is behind all this? How can we bridge the gap between what companies are trying to do for their employees and what their employees feel every day at the office?

I believe that businesses need to be more aggressive in creating inclusive climates that are felt by all employees. It goes beyond policies and practices; it's about nurturing interpersonal relationships between colleagues. Businesses need to focus more on developing two key populations: LGBT models and LGBT allies.

I took a circuitous route to BlackRock, joining in 1991 after spending several years as an oboist concert artist and ethnomusicologist.

Regarding my education, I was raised in the southern United States, where diversity was scarce and where we did not see many openly gay people in everyone's life days. I went out at the age of 25, when many homobaduals were discriminated against.

Imagine what I felt when I joined this industry five years later. I did not feel comfortable being outdoors. Nobody was hostile, but I lacked senior homobadual colleagues to admire. Shortly after arriving, an openly gay general manager was hired. It was revolutionary. I went out to work and since then I have championed LGBT causes in the workplace.

We have come a long way but still have a long way to go. As a co-founder of BlackRock's "Out & Allies" employee network, which celebrated its tenth anniversary, I learned a lot of important lessons.

Closed employees are distracted and less engaged. When gay leaders act as role models, our younger or newer colleagues see "someone like me" who is safe at work.

After training out, I knew we were making progress when I walked around the office and saw pictures of gay colleagues with their partners. Even if a person shows that this level of comfort is itself, it creates a workout effect, and more people get involved. As we recruit more LGBT people, we build our bench of new models.

That brings me to allies. Inclusion concerns everyone and we can all be allies for someone else. Allies and corporate supporters are among the top reasons why Out has been so effective. It spread to Asia two years ago – a remarkable stride. We also participated in the Budapest Pride Parade last year, which was significant because it went against the conventional wisdom for a new office in this city.

I knew we were making progress when I was walking around the office and seeing photos of gay colleagues with their partners

Allies are also needed to advance the idea that we are all together . As a leader, it is essential that I am an ally of our network of women 's initiatives, our network of black professionals and all other business groups who could benefit from the support of our organization. Out expertise.

The inclusion can also raise our entire industry. As badet managers, we face problems ranging from demographic changes, to difficult return environments, to retirement implications. It has been proven that various teams produce the most creative solutions to help customers.

Companies can make a difference on a large scale. One of my proudest moments was when BlackRock supported the equality of marriage in the United States. This year, Larry Fink's letter to the CEOs focused on the goal and the fact that, in addition to financial performance, for long-term success, companies must demonstrate a significant impact to all stakeholders, including including employees and communities.

At the scale of the industry, we still have a lot to do – we must recruit and retain more inclusive, encourage self-identification of LGBT colleagues. meet the needs of transgender colleagues, support colleagues in countries where homobaduality is illegal, and increase LGBT visibility among senior executives and at the board level.

Reflecting on Pride this year, I am impressed by our progress. But I know that by creating more models and allies, we can speed things up and make our industry a more inclusive place.

Alan Mason is Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Engineering Americas for BlackRock's ETF and Index Investment activities.