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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Inspiring year ahead, with Out and Equal Executive Forum and Workplace Summit plans underway

The New Year has started as one of our busiest, and most promising for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, with plans underway for the 2010 Executive Forum and Leadership Celebration in New York City and the 2010 Workplace Summit in Los Angeles.

The Executive Forum, set for April 19-21, brings together high-ranking and emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender leaders from the world's largest corporations for a series of discussions, innovative workshops and renowned keynote speakers. The last night concludes with the special Leadership Celebration, which is open to all and includes a special reception and our annual dinner!

Since we started the Executive Forum, I've been honored to sit side-by-side with some of the business world's most inspiring thought leaders, sharing ideas and learning practices that shaped their successes.

It's no wonder that so many previous Executive Forum participants are signing up for the limited seats available at this year's forum and encouraging their peers to apply.

The excitement is already building for the 2010 Workplace Summit, which comes at a pivotal point in the history of workplace equality. Following the President's State of the Union speech, we are seeing progress on the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The repeal of DADT will finally resolve an embarrassing workplace injustice and permit brave LGBT men and women to serve openly in the military without fear of losing their jobs based solely on their sexual orientation.

We still hold out hope that passage of a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act is possible in 2010, providing protection for civilian LGBT employees across the country to bring their full selves to work. The recent decision by Virginia's governor to reissue an executive order that dropped employment protection for our community underscores the importance of passing ENDA now. Please continue to contact your federal lawmakers to make sure they know the importance of moving forward on this critical piece of legislation.

The annual Workplace Summit, set for Oct. 5-8 in Los Angeles, will continue to further LGBT workplace equality through energizing discussions, top-notch speakers and informative workshops. Take part in tomorrow's Town Call to learn how to best submit workshop proposals or nominate "Outie" award candidates. Workshop proposals and Outie nominations are being accepted now through April 30.

There's plenty to be proud of this year, and through our achievements together, there will be even more to celebrate as we help shape the future of LGBT workplace equality.

Sincerely,

Selisse Berry
Executive Director
Out and Equal Workplace Advocates

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