Earlier this year, the PRIDE business resource group (BRG) was launched at GCI. This employee-led group is amplifying LGBTQ2+ voices within the company. The group, open to all GCI employees, is reinforcing a working culture where every LGBTQ2+ employee is welcome, heard and comfortable expressing their individuality in the workplace.
In honor of Pride Month, we sat down with four members of the group to discuss the challenges they have had to overcome, resources and creating an atmosphere of inclusion in the workplace.
How can we as a society ensure we’re amplifying the voices of LGBTQ2+ people in the workplace?
Cory: I think a great way to amplify voices of LGBTQ2+ people in the workplace is just to listen to their voices. It can be really hard as a person who is not out in a workplace to even share their opinion. So, making it an inclusive workplace, allowing others with diverse opinions to be able to share that. I think that’s the No. 1 thing.
How does the PRIDE BRG build an atmosphere of inclusion at GCI?
Alysha: I think it’s a safe space for people who are not that comfortable around their coworkers to talk about their spouses or talk about what’s going on in their lives. This gives them an opportunity to share their stories and give them a sense of belonging.
Dane: We are bringing awareness to the community and providing some sort of education around who we are and what we are. We’re not just the outsiders or the unknowns, it really helps people that relate with us.
Cory: Something that’s so important to GCI is our culture and our brand and really to have that culture available to all our employees is the goal of this resource group. When we get to talk to coworkers and share experiences and have leaders that look like us and talk like us, that really enables that culture and it enables us to have people come work at GCI and be happy and stay longer.
Are there any resources you love that you’d like to share with the LGBTQ2+ community or allies?
Mary: There are a lot of great resources locally. There are Pride Fest activities all over the state going on in June where you have a network of people that you can meet. If you’re not really familiar with the community, you can meet others and ask questions and just be proud of who you are and proud of your friends and family.
Cory: Here in Alaska and in Anchorage, Identity is one of our great groups that we work with. They do a lot of stuff for Pride, and they have a lot of resources for people who may be transitioning or are looking for a health care provider that they can trust. They also have programs for youth who are just coming out or people that have families and they are trying to figure out how to get their kids involved in something. Another one that’s local that’s great is the Queen’s Guard. PFLAG is also a great nationwide organization. It’s a really great organization that you can go to for resources if you have a child that’s coming out, if you’re struggling to come out, or if you already came out and you’re wanting to find some other like-minded people. It’s also a great organization if you’re looking to see what you can do politically.
Alysha: I want to talk a little bit about that right there. It’s about families. My daughter, her son had just come out and they live in Arizona. She called me and said, “Hey, what are the resources, what’s out there for me to be an ally to him and support him?” I had to do some searching. I came to the PRIDE BRG. The second she reached out to me, I was like, who is going to know something, because I had no idea. So, I threw it in the group chat and one of our members came up with all these great resources for us. He had local resources that were a good option and then also nationwide. So that was exciting. I think it’s very important for people to be able to support their friends and family in just everyday life.
Cory: You can also check and see if your workplace has resources or groups. At GCI, we have a whole page of resources on our Intranet, and we also have the PRIDE BRG. We’re an open group, anybody can come and be a part of it. Some people might not feel comfortable, they might not be comfortable coming to the group and getting their toes a little wet. They can go and find those resources online and if they’re helpful and they feel like they want to do anything else in the community, they can join our group.
Alaska nonprofits seeking funding for suicide prevention programs encouraged to apply for GCI Suicide Prevention Fund
What advice would you give someone who wants to be an ally but doesn’t know where to start?
Dane: Education is the big thing, learning and trying to make your mind meld with what is changing on the daily with the community. A big thing is reflecting on your own privilege. The “P word” is triggering for some people. But it’s real, it’s a real thing. If you can’t reflect on your own privilege, then you can’t really see the intersectionality of the group. There are so many different variations of how someone can identify. Even how we identify within the community. We have to self-educate, we have to educate ourselves on different topics because I can tell you, I don’t know everything. So that would be one thing, education. And the other one is accepting that perfection isn’t a thing and just because you’re taking your first steps doesn’t mean you won’t make a mistake, but just keep going.
Cory: I think the first thing about being a good ally is just finding people that are in the community and talking with them, becoming friends with them. You probably know someone, maybe they’re not out yet or maybe they are, but get to know them, get to know a little bit about the community, the history. You can do that online and there are great documentaries. I think that’s the first step. And then once you’re comfortable with that, it’s really taking action. If you see anyone that is not being positive with a member of the community, stepping in, standing up for them, giving them resources. If you see someone who has a kid who’s a part of the community, try to connect with them so they don’t feel isolated. This community is very prone to being isolated, to feeling depressed and even suicidal. And so, the more we help people integrate into our society and culture, [the more] that we are friends with them, the better. You’ll figure out how to be a good ally. And then beyond that, you can do more and more and more and more. But that’s a good first step.
Mary: As an ally, I am friends with a lot of people from the LGBTQ2+ community and I just want to do what I can do to help amplify their voices, so they are heard and accepted. I learned a lot through my best friend who’s no longer with us. I met him freshman year of high school. We grew up in a town where being from the LGBTQ2+ community, it wasn’t acceptable, it was frowned upon, there were stigmas with it. He introduced me to Pride Fest in downtown Anchorage and drag queen bingo, all this fun stuff. It opened my eyes, and I was just like, “Why is there a stigma with being this kind of person?”
Everyone I’ve met from the community has been so amazing. They’re open to questions. If you’re not really sure what pronouns they use, it’s now acceptable to just ask, “May I ask what pronouns you use?” And more than likely they’re going to be like, “Wow, thanks for asking.”
And my main reason for joining the BRG is because of my friend who passed away so I can continue educating others, educating myself. Through everything that he’s taught me and everything that everyone here has taught me, I feel like I’m learning something new every day. So, to go back to the question, don’t be afraid of getting to know your colleague or your neighbor who is from the community and ask questions and just be very genuine about it. Just be personable. And then you may even grow a new friendship.
What advice would you give to someone who is not out yet or who is nervous about entering the workforce as someone who identifies as LGBTQ2+?
Alysha: My recommendation is researching your company before you apply and before you interview. My wife and I come from the retail world. She was always in upper management. She always had to keep her personal life 1000% outside work. I, on the other hand, worked for companies with progressive corporate offices. I had partner benefits before partner benefits were a thing. But that’s because I did my research and worked for companies that were like GCI and had a culture of being forward thinkers and having respect.
Cory: I think networking is really important. Again, it’s hard when we have a lot of people in the past generation that weren’t out. So, you can’t look to leaders many times to be out. So, finding coworkers, if it’s an immediate coworker or networking with another group, maybe it’s a department you work alongside, find someone that has some kind of connection to the community. It’s a great start. I think a business resource group is also awesome if you’re in a company that allows it. It’s a great way for people that may never interact on a daily basis, but you get to come, you know, maybe an hour a month and get together and get to know each other a little bit more.
Dane: Prioritize your safety and wellbeing. You may get hired on in a place that’s not very accepting and come out to the wrong person. Filling your environment with good people is a real thing.
What fears or challenges have you had to overcome throughout your career as someone who identifies as LGBTQ2+?
Alysha: I am 58, my wife is also 58. It’s only recently that we have been able to attend work functions. That’s been difficult. The bigger fear for us has always been outside of work in that, what if something happens to one of us and we’re in the hospital. We don’t, we didn’t, have the same rights that straight people had. That was very difficult. In the last 10 years it’s changed. It’s been a huge change. Do we have 100,000 miles left to go? Yes, we do. But it has gotten better, and I just would like to see us keep going forward so that you could tell someone you got married, that you could celebrate your anniversary publicly at all times, and you wouldn’t be afraid because you love someone. That’s what I would hope. I hope that we would never need any BRG groups ever because everybody from all walks of life would just be accepted because they were human.
Cory: I think I’ve been lucky enough. I came out when I was 13. So, I’ve been out for quite a long time. But that doesn’t change the fear that you can have in the workplace, even if that fear isn’t real many times. You can feel like, “What if I have a manager that doesn’t like me? What if I have an upper manager that doesn’t like me? What if the HR system that I have at work isn’t favorable to my situation?”
I think that’s what leads a lot of people, even if they are out in their personal lives, to be really in the closet at work. And I can just say again, I’ve been out for a long time. When I first started at work, I was not very public about it. I wouldn’t say I was not out of the closet, but I didn’t share that with people. I am now a senior manager. Everybody on my team knows they know I’m a part of our BRG. All our executive leadership knows that. And I feel like that empowers me, and it makes me different in a good way. It makes me diverse, and it allows my opinion to be heard further in the company in a good way. I think it’s great, but it would be a lie to say that some people don’t have to worry about that.
Dane: One of one of my first jobs ever was at a fast-food restaurant. I was there for a few days, and I was talking with the person that makes biscuits at the place that I worked. She asked me if I had a girlfriend, I said no, and that I was gay. And then she was like, “oh, that’s cool, blah, blah.” But she went and told the manager. The next day when I came to work, the manager stopped me in between hallways and she was like, “You know, it’s ok that you’re gay, but you need to leave that part of yourself at the door as you’re coming into work.” And it scared me because, I mean, at least here in North Carolina, you can be fired for being gay without having any sort of reason. I spoke with our corporate group, and they called her and told her that that’s not part of their culture that they’re trying to make. And she came back with an apology, but it made the workplace not a great place to be.
Alysha: I’d like to say something about what Dane just said. And that is if someone trusts in you who they are, and they come out to you, it’s not your story to tell. It’s called outing. So please don’t out them to others. That’s for the person to do themselves. I think that’s an important distinction that people don’t realize they’re doing, they think they’re doing you a favor. It’s not a favor.
Dane: Yes, asking who else they’ve told and how exclusive it is, is a good place to start. If they’re like, “No, I’m out, everything’s good, everybody knows” it’s okay. I feel like now that I have been out for so long, I wouldn’t care if Corey met someone on the street and said, “Dane and his husband, blah, blah, blah.” But, you know, when I was 15, starting a new job, I was out to maybe 10 people at that time, and then the whole restaurant knew.
What are you excited about?
Mary: I’m very excited for Pride Month. We’re going to be involved with the Rainbow Run and Pride Fest, and just being able to be out in the community and hearing from others, hearing their stories, I just love hearing stories and getting to know people. And yeah, rainbows, who doesn’t love all the colors of the rainbow? And there’s just so much energy, it just really brings me up every June.
Cory: Yeah, it’s been a rough time with the pandemic. Obviously, Pride suffered with that. So, having an actual Pride at the Park Strip in Anchorage is going to be fantastic. I’m just really looking forward to getting to show all the work that we’ve done with this group to the community, but also have that sense of community. We have that here at work and that’s fantastic. But, you know, it doesn’t exist all the time unless you’re going to Mad Myrna’s where you can have a sense of that culture of, you know, everyone being accepting, and you can go there and be your authentic self. So, I’m really looking forward to that and then hopefully some good weather.
Alysha: Yes, I would like Pride Fest to actually be decent weather. That’s my big dream for this June. I’m super excited about the parade and volunteering. My family and I are going to the Seward for Pride which I’m also excited about. It should be super fun; they really do it up out there. So those are some of the things I’m excited about.
Dane: I’m personally buying a house, that’s kind of where my mindset is and what I’m excited about. I wish I could come to Anchorage; I was there for the last three years and now that I have moved back to North Carolina, I’m sad to miss the first in-person Pride since before the pandemic. Our Pride events aren’t until August here, it’s too hot.
Interested in working at an inclusive company alongside Dane, Cory, Alysha and Mary? Check out the open positions at GCI.