The Juniper Center Founder and Director, Dr. Margo Jacquot, and Molly Deslandes, Postdoctoral Fellow, slated to speak.
The Illinois Diversity Council (ILDC) is partnering with the LGBT Chamber of Commerce to present the 1st annual LGBTQIA Roundtable. The half-day program takes place on Thursday June 14 from 8 am to noon. The location is the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Illinois, at 3179 N. Clark Street in Chicago.
“This forum creates awareness and advocacy for workplace equality,” said Jerome’ Holston, Director of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois. “And ultimately, where LGBTQIA individuals aren’t simply attempting to fit in but rather find a place where they truly belong,” he added.
Panel Features Experts from The Juniper Center
Dr. Margo Jacquot and Mo Deslandes, both of The Juniper Center (Director and Postdoctoral Fellow, respectively), will be part of a panel discussion on Coaching to Create LGBTQIA Equality in the Workplace. Dr. Jacquot will talk about intersectionality and pronouns. Deslandes will share insights and expertise on unconscious bias. Dr. Jacquot also served on the planning committee for the event.
Illinois Diversity Council LGBTQ Roundtable for Connections and Learning
This half-day experience features candid conversations from subject matter experts on the most compelling topics, including:
- breaking down barriers
- learning language that liberates
- uncovering unconscious bias and
- the business case for transformative best practices.
“Our goal is to create business environments where all associates are welcomed, respected, valued, heard and supported,” said Charles Lilly, Program Manager for Talent Acquisition at Hub International. Lilly is chair of this inaugural event. “We are trying to take it past the simple awareness level. The goal is to offer deeper insights into the LGBTQIA community. We want to go beyond the barrier of perceived language protocols and on the road to deeper engagement,” said Lilly.
The agenda will offer help for business owners on things like the case for ROI, understanding bathroom protocols and understanding more about transgender issues. The target audience is corporate Human Resources or Diversity & Inclusion representatives, Employee Resource Group leaders and members, people from the LGBTQIA community. Anyone who has an interest in diversity in general will find the program worthwhile.
Anne Klingeberger, Chicago Corporate Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors will deliver a keynote address about the “Why” behind the Corporate Equality Index of the Human Rights Campaign.
The Illinois Diversity Council is a non-profit organization that champions diversity and inclusion throughout Illinois academia, businesses, and communities. The ILDC creates a platform for discourse and collaboration around common inclusion issues and provides education, development, and community building opportunities for all.