LGBTQ Equity and Inclusion: Do You Measure Up?

While most leaders understand the importance of equity and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender and sexual minorities, the path is rarely obvious or easy. Fortunately, there are tools available to you measure where your organization stands and help you in developing the appropriate policies and practices. In this session, we will explore a variety of these benchmarking tools, including the popular HRC Corporate Equality Index, along with other steps you can take to improve your score and ensure compliance with local, state, and/or federal law.

After attending this seminar, you will be able to:

• Describe various tools available to measure LGBTQ equity and inclusion
• Explain why LGBTQ equity is key to sharpening your competitive edge
• Discuss pertinent laws and regulations
• Develop a customized plan to address your organization’s needs
• Analyze case studies of organizations that have transformed themselves by embracing these efforts

• Workforce protections
• Employee benefits
• Corporate culture
• Social responsibility
• Staff training
• Community engagement
• Customer/patient services and support

To better understand what it means (and what it takes) to be a fully inclusive organization—and promote your business as an affirming and supportive place to customers and employees alike.

• Corporate leadership
• Healthcare and hospital administrators
• Human Resources staff
• Municipal policymakers
• Campus administrators

C. Michael Woodward, MPH (he/him) is the Trans Community Health Manager in the Department of Trans Medicine at Borrego Health, the nation’s second largest and fastest growing FQHC. In this role, he is responsible for developing collaborative relationships with outside service providers relating to trans and LGBTQ+ services and Specialty Care; managing internal trans awareness training efforts; creating cooperative referral and care networks through training and information sharing; and championing the overall patient experience in regard to service navigation and support. In addition to his two decades of lived experience as an openly transgender man, Michael brings extensive advocacy experience and cultural expertise to his current role at Borrego. He is the founder of lgbtQ&A Inclusion Consulting, providing training and consulting services to healthcare and corporate leaders nationwide. He is the former director of the Gender Odyssey conference, and an adjunct instructor at Tacoma Community College. Michael served on the City of Tucson Commission on GLBT Issues for five years and is a founding member of The University of Arizona President’s LGBT Advisory Council, where he helped to develop the nation’s first trans-inclusive public university restroom access policy. He has published myriad nonfiction books, articles, and blogs, most notably contributing the title essay to the FTM anthology, “Manning Up: Transsexual Men on Finding Brotherhood, Family, and Themselves” (Transgress Press, 2014). He holds a BS in Public and Corporate Communications from Butler University and earned both a Master of Public Health Policy and Management degree and a Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Governance from the University of Arizona. Currently living in Riverside, CA, Michael is also an accomplished vocalist, now performing as lead singer in his third classic rock cover band, The Right Bunch of Fellows.