As the Out & Equal Workplace Summit draws near, we have been working closely with The Walt Disney Company, Equality Florida, and others to address safety, security, and other questions arising from the new anti-LGBTQ+ laws and proposed legislation in Florida. We also have heard from our community a strong desire to support and show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in Florida (and, unfortunately, in many other states), who are facing unimaginable, daily discrimination.
Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida, went on record recently asking for companies who choose to come to Florida to “join us in countering these relentless attacks. Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality.”
We believe deeply in the importance of being visible and providing a forum for leaders to develop more inclusive workplaces and societies, and that is why we remain committed to hosting this year’s Workplace Summit in Orlando.
Out & Equal has always leveraged the Workplace Summit as a powerful platform for learning, and for developing relationships within and amongst company change agents and movement partners that help amplify and accelerate equality work more broadly. In fact, Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith; the Human Rights Campaign’s Legal Director, Sarah Warbelow, and many others were prominently featured at the 2022 Summit in Las Vegas.
We look forward to this year’s Workplace Summit, where we will once again serve to sharpen participants’ understanding of the pressing and systemic challenges facing our community, and what specifically companies and their leaders and employees can do to positively affect change in meaningful and lasting ways.
Nadine Smith, Executive Director, Equality Florida, shares this message with the Out & Equal community: “I look forward to participating in the 2023 Workplace Summit in Orlando, and joining others in what will be a powerful week-long dialogue on the vital ways businesses can continue to support the values of equity and fairness in the face of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. I commend Out & Equal for taking all the measures it needs to convene a safe event, while also stepping into the moment to shine a light on this critical fight. I believe this event is an essential catalyst for change at a historically important time, and I thank Out & Equal for standing in solidarity with the LGBTQ+, Florida, and business communities broadly. I know those who attend will leave the event with greater understanding, tools, relationships, and the resolve to act on behalf of their diverse workforce and customer base.”