Earlier this week I was at the law firm Jenner & Block for an event. As I was attaching my lavalier mic, the tech said, referring to me, “she’s a pro [with the mic].” Seconds later, the tech came back and said, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to assume your gender.” I responded with, “No worries! You guessed right. Thank you.”

I found this whole exchange startling in a good way. I even told the story to the group, applauding the firm for giving all of their employees the tools to be LGBTQ-inclusive. I was so impressed by the tech’s self-awareness and willingness to apologize for something I hadn’t given a moment’s thought to. It was also a “no big deal” moment, in that there wasn’t a giant discussion – moments of inclusion can be quick and straightforward.

My pronouns are she/her and even when I’m not somewhere they’re on display, people generally get it right. In the work world, we haven’t gotten to a critical mass sharing of pronouns. It’s not quite normalized. We’re working on it. That’s why it’s really inspiring to watch that work being done, to experience someone apologizing for something that’s not yet normalized, apologizing for something that didn’t bother me one bit. Because I’m cisgender, and I have the privilege that comes with it.

I’m celebrating the small wins because that’s how we build momentum for the big stuff. Let’s do this! 

Here are the other good vibes I found this week:

         2. Bank of America Making Big Moves With Avoiding Layoffs, BIPOC Leadership, and More         
         3. The State Department is ditching Times New Roman for Calibri
         4. Welcome Corps, A New Refugee Resettlement Program
         5.  Businesses Pledge to Support Divorcing Employees

Read the full blog here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-the-tech

Learn more about Cherie Price, President of the Illinois Diversity Council here!

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