Out and Equal – the journey continues

Picture it: 1985. Pleasant Valley, Iowa. A January morning on the banks of the Mississippi River. My step-mother and me sitting around the wood burning stove.

After years of sorting through feelings, I conjured up the strength to say, “I am gay”! 

I was now OUT!

EQUAL! Well, in the eyes of my family, my friends, and my government, EQUAL is a process that continues today.

This week, on behalf of Cisco Systems, I'm thrilled to attend the Out and Equal Workplace Summit.

I'm excited to learn, share, and smile (can you say Pointer Sisters, Lance Bass, Diana Nyad, and Abby Wambach).

REMEMBERING

While in Orlando, I will personally take time to visit the Pulse nightclub, to weep, remember, and vow to carry on against the hate perpetrated in the largest mass public shooting in the history of the United States of America.

MY LGBT COMMUNITY

When I came OUT 31 years ago I was not visited by the ‘knowledge fairy’ sharing insights and information ‘fairy dust’ about my LGBT sisters and brothers and their individual journeys and challenges (e.g. Compton’s Cafeteria, Lesbians and Bisexual Women’s increased occurrences of Cancer, to say nothing of the HIV/AIDS pandemic).

LEARNING

Here in San Francisco, my home since 1991, I have had the amazing fortune to learn, listen, and work with Transgender leaders like Cecilia Chung and Theresa Sparks, Bisexual Community advocates Lindasusan Ulrich (Bisexual Invisibility), HIV community leaders like Gary Virginia, and Lesbians and Gay men far too many to name.

I share all this because the journey to EQUAL is one that continues today.

FIRED FROM YOUR JOB

In the United States of America in 32 states you can still be fired from your job. Yes, you can be FIRED in 32 states for being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender.

VIOLENCE

In my own gay neighborhood in the relatively safe confines of San Francisco, epithets of “faggot” and “queer” are far too often heard. Hate Crimes nationwide against LGBT people are still on the rise.

CISCO PROUD

Working for Cisco, I am proud to share OUT loud that from the 'corner office' to all worldwide employees, OUT & EQUAL is prioritized each and every day.

• Perfect 100 Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign.
• CEO Chuck Robbins supports equality and displays compassion.
• Leadership with VP, Chief Inclusion & Collaboration Officer Shari Slate.

MOVING FORWARD

I am proud to be OUT. I am proud to continue the work towards EQUAL. If we continue to listen, learn, and share, we will make this a “more perfect union”.

Thank You Cisco.

Thank You Out & Equal.