As the saying goes, the news never stops — but there’s a lot of it out there, and all of it doesn’t always pertain to our readers. In this weekly news roundup, we’ll cover the top news stories that matter most to our diversity focused audience.
1. How DEI Has Showed Up in Midterm Elections
While the results from midterm elections across the country are still coming in, some races have been finalized with some seats going to more diverse candidates.
One major example of this is Wes Moore’s historic win as the first Black governor of Maryland. Moore, a Democrat, was declared the winner over Dan Cox, a state legislator who won the Republican primary and had support from former President Donald Trump. Maryland was led by Rep. Larry Hogan before Moore’s win.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community also secured wins in the midterms, with Maura Healey being the first woman and the first openly lesbian woman to be elected governor of Massachusetts. During a victory rally in Boston on Tuesday, Healey dedicated her win to “every little girl and every young LGBTQ person out there,” according to NBC News.
“I hope tonight shows you that you can be whatever, whoever you want to be,” she said. “And nothing and no one can ever get in your way except your own imagination, and that’s not going to happen.”
Healey’s win follows two other out LGBTQ+ Democrats, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who also won races in their states.
2. LGBTQ+ Fans Boycott Qatar World Cup
Amid laws against gay sex and the overall treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar and a World Cup representative going as far as describing homosexuality as a “damage in the mind,” some fans have decided to boycott the event as they fear for their safety.
LGBTQ+ rights activists are raising concerns about how members of the community who live in Qatar may be treated once the event is over.
Dario Minden, a soccer fan from Germany, said he won’t watch the tournament to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ people in Qatar, the Associated Press reports. During a human rights congress in Frankfurt, Germany, Minden told the Qatari ambassador to Germany that the country should eradicate its penalties for homosexuality.
“I happen to be a gay football fan and I thought that this is a great opportunity to speak in front of such a high representative, to connect the topic with a face,” he said in an interview.
Saskia Nino de Rivera and her girlfriend, Mariel Duayhe, who is a sports agent for soccer players in Mexico, was excited about attending the World Cup tournament until they found out about the host country’s laws on same-sex relations.
In an interview, Nino de Rivera said: “As a lesbian woman, it’s really hard for me to feel and think that we are going to a country where we don’t know what could happen and how we could be safe.” Ultimately, they have decided not to attend.
3. Recognizing Veterans Day
November 11 is Veterans Day, which is a time to pay respects to those who have served in the armed forces.
Fair360, formerly DiversityInc is a certified veteran-owned (VA) and disability-owned (USBLN) company. Founder and Chairman Luke Visconti is a veteran, having served as a Naval Aviator for more than eight years on active duty and 18 months in the reserves. He also served as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel for almost 10 years.
As part of our Top 50 survey, we ask companies about the policies, practices and procedures they have in place for hiring, retaining and supporting veterans and even have a Top Companies for Veterans list we create each year.
View the 2022 Top Companies for Veterans list here.
4. The 2023 Top 50 Survey is Now Open!
Do you feel as if your company has really honed in on DEI initiatives and you want to tell someone about it? Then take our 2023 Top 50 survey!
Last year, we had roughly 1,800 companies across different industries fill out the survey, which is free to participate in and no preferential treatment is given to the companies we do business with.
If you’re wondering how the ranking for our annual Top 50 Companies for Diversity list works, it is built based on empirical data obtained through organizations filling out the survey. It has more than 240 questions and is the most extensive, data-driven analysis gauging detailed demographics based on race/ethnicity and gender at some of the largest U.S. employers.The survey benchmarks organizations’ programs, practices, policies, and outcomes to hire, retain, develop, and promote women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ and veteran employees.
Learn more about the survey and request an invitation to take it! The survey is open until March 2023. View the 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list here.
5. The Importance of Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace
While DEI data around company policies, practices and procedures is what we analyze to come up with our annual Top 50 and specialty lists, we recognize that outside of the data, it is important to acknowledge how employees feel and create a space of psychological safety.
That was the message that was shared during a fireside chat between Fair360, formerly DiversityInc CEO Carolynn L. Johnson and Louis Vega, President of Dow North America (Dow ranked No. 15 on Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 2022 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list).
To create a psychologically safe environment, Johnson said it is important for people to have coaches and mentors in their lives, whether those people are colleagues, family or friends, who they can go to when they’ve experienced something that just didn’t feel right.
Coaches and mentors and people who really know you can “help you understand how you show up versus how you want to show up because they are not always the same thing,” she said.
