April 30 ^th, 2010

The IGLCC is pleased to announce that registrations have already doubled for the 2010 edition of the International Business Equality Index.

Corporations are invited to complete the online survey until May 15 and to join the IGLCC in Amsterdam on June 10 for the press conference officially unveiling the report with the main findings of the 2010 Index. The announcement will be part of the IGLCC 3rd Annual Congress, organized in partnership with Company Pride Platform, its Affiliate Member from The Netherlands.

All participating corporations are also invited to join us in London on September 23 for the 2010 Index Seminar. This one day event will gather Diversity & Inclusion and Human Resources among many other leaders from major international corporations to discuss the findings of the 2010 Index and position the future of LGBT diversity globally.

Complete information on the 2010 Index is available on www.iglcc.org/index. The 2010 Index Brochure can be downloaded from the website in English, French, Spanish and German.

Monisa Cline
VP of North America Sales
at Continental

“We are proud to partner with the International Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce,” said Monisa Cline, VP of North America Sales at Continental Airlines. “At Continental, we are committed to exploring opportunities that are diverse and inclusive of our workplace and community.  Diversity is an important part of our corporate philosophy and is something we take very seriously, by encouraging inclusion and treating everyone with dignity and respect.   We strive to promote openness and understanding and acceptance of all individuals, including the LGBT community.  We are excited to announce our partnership with IGLCC and we look forward to interacting with your members.”

Continental earned the top rating of 100 percent in the 2010 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.  Continental’s efforts in ensuring LGBT equality in each of the survey’s main criterion earned it the prestigious 100 percent ranking.
Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,500 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 133 domestic and 135 international destinations. Continental is a member of Star Alliance, which overall offers 19,700 daily flights to 1,077 airports in 175 countries through its 26 member airlines. With more than 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.

Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For the sixth consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 World's Most Admired Airline on its 2009 list of World's Most Admired Companies. For more company information, go to continental.com.

When it comes to flying, let us be your airline of choice!  Please contact Geralyn Stevens at 832-332-2745 or geralyn.stevens@coair.com for more information regarding meeting, group or company travel discount opportunities. 

IGLCC and Company Pride Platform are working in close partnership to bring a single international event covering the most up to date LGBT business topics. The preliminary program is now online.

Visit the IGLCC website for additional information on booking your flight with Continental Airlines and also on preferred rates within three choices of Accor properties in the center of Amsterdam.

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate to the Press Conference unveiling the results of the 2010 International Business Equality Index on June 10^th, a guaranteed highlight of the Congress.

Stay for the special Women’s Event taking place on June 11^th. Tell your friends and come learn about the actions proposed by the IGLCC Women’s Council.

Finally, the Gala Dinner will celebrate Diversity in business and present the Annual IGLCC Awards. Who will be this year’s winners? Follow-us on our Facebook and Twitter pages to learn firsthand.

Register today to be part of the must attend event of the year!

The IGLCC and CPP offer a varied array of opportunities providing great visibility to your organization during the event.

From opening and closing cocktails to speakers corners and plenary sessions to the ultimate highlight of the Gala Dinner you choose the one that best suits you.

To learn more and sign up for sponsorship, please contact Pascal Lépine by e-mail or by phone: (514) 287-2888 ext 224.

Download the event Sponsorship Brochure.

Continental Airlines is the official airline of the IGLCC 3^rd Annual Congress, flying our delegates to Amsterdam from many different locations across the world.

Valid travel dates: June 5-15, 2010
We are pleased to offer special airline discounts on Continental for the IGLCC Congress.
You may book online at www.continental.com and enter your Agreement Code 412265ZJ3M in the Offer Code box when searching for your flights.
If booking through a travel professional or MeetingWorks at 800-468-7022, please give them the following information:
Agreement Code: 412265 Code: ZJ3M
Outside of the United States, please call your local Continental Airlines Reservation Office.
Experience dependable, first-rate service and earn miles in OnePass, Continental's award-winning frequent flyer program.
To enroll in OnePass, log on to www.continental.com.

Special IGLCC room rates at these hotels will be available only until May 1^st.
Please book early to benefit from the best rate.

Room rate @ The Grand is €300 per night, including government tax at the current level, service charges, but excluding 5% city tax.
A buffet breakfast is served at the restaurant and is included in the room rate. The following amenities and facilities are provided:

• Complimentary daily newspaper
• Selection of Hermes toiletries
• Private room safe
• Bathrobe
• Housekeeping service twice a day

Reservation:
Call or e-mail the Sofitel Reservations Manager
Ms. Brechtje Renzema
Phone: +31 (0)20 555 3555
E-mail: H2783-RE@sofitel.com

Single room: €149 Euros
Double room: €164 Euros
Triple room: €204 Euros
Breakfast Included
5% City tax excluded

All rates are inclusive of V.A.T and exclusive of 5% city tax.

To reserve @ Ibis Amsterdam Centre, please complete this reservation form and send it by e-mail or by fax to:
Hotel Ibis Amsterdam Centre, reservations department
Fax: +31-(0)20 5222889
E-mail: h1556-RE2@accor.com

Single room: €155 Euros
Double room: €170 Euros
Breakfast & City tax included

To reserve @ Mercure Arthur Frommer, please contact the hotel and make sure to mention that you are a delegate of the IGLCC Congress:

Tel: +31 20 6220328
E-mail: H1032@Accor.com

I Conferencia sobre Derechos Humanos de las personas LGBT en África
Esto va tomando forma. El jueves y viernes próximos (8 y 9 de abril) tendrá lugar en Tenerife la I Conferencia sobre Derechos Humanos de las personas LGBT ...
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Le texte adopté par les 47 Etats membres constitue désormais un socle de référence en matière des droits LGBT en Europe qui inscrit ce continent à la pointe ...
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Source: E-llico.com

Paychecks may depend on sexual orientation
According to a 2007 study by the Williams' Institute, 8-17 percent of LGBT subjects surveyed had been openly fired or not hired based on their sexual ...
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Recruitment Firms Come Together
In addition to providing access to a broader range of candidates, including women, people of color, and members of the LGBT community to clients, ...
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R$ 200 bilhões no fim do arco-íris
Formado por 18 milhões de brasileiros, público consumidor gay que o IBGE vai, enfim, retratar faz empresários abandonarem o conservadorismo para lucrar alto
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Source: O Dia Online

Seminar explores unique job challenges for LGBT graduates
The focus was to talk about career opportunities and what the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) community needs to know when looking for a job after ...
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La Cour suprême des Philippines a ordonné à la commission électorale d'autoriser l'association LGBT Ang Ladlad à présenter des candidats aux élections ...
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Source: Excélsior

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You may be able to gain some information about your company if it is listed in the Corporate Equality Index, a project that rates LGBT workplace policies ...
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Source: New York Times (blog)

Out member of parliament helps Nepal appeal to gay travelers
Nepal's tourism minister is promoting Mount Everest as a venue for the weddings of same-sex couples from around the world. Much of the credit goes to Sunil Babu Pant, an openly gay member of Nepal's parliament who is the founder of Pink Mountain, a travel agency, and is advising the government on tapping the LGBT tourism market, according to this article.
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Source: The Times (London)

Laurence Bernstein is the managing partner of Protean Strategies, and is one of Canada's best known and respected strategic planners. A graduate of Cornell University, he is a regular contributor to Marketing magazine and has published articles in numerous business publications in Canada, USA and Germany.

Plan B: When it all goes terribly wrong

Nothing in the world of business is without risk. In fact, a major responsibility of leadership in any organization is to manage risk – to balance the downside against the upside and make a decision. Mostly, undoubtedly, among readers of this newsletter, this works out well. Sometimes, however, it goes the other way.

The decision to invest in an LGBT niche marketing plan is always discussed in heightened terms of risk. Generally this risk is described as the potential negative response among current customers or the broader public, and the possible negative impact on the brand. The good news is that in many countries this risk is no longer an issue – in Canada and many Western European countries the subject is almost never raised. In other countries it is a serious issue, not well understood by senior management – with the result that LGBT marketing activities are often cloaked in steel-like insulation, with everybody in the organization adopting a heads down, move forward and damn the torpedoes attitude. Fortunately, as we know, the torpedoes generally don’t appear.

But, sometimes they do. What then?  When faced with exploding torpedoes in their general market strategies (Tiger Woods and his torpedo is a good case), the PR experts know exactly what to do: Cut and run, quickly. With the exception of Nike and perhaps a few other minor sponsors, the major global brands that had invested tens of millions of dollars in associated their brand with Tiger felt that the balance of risk and reward tipped too far into the risk zone, and, although wooing the golf crowd was a profitable niche, it just wasn’t worth the potential negative blow back.

In the gay niche, however, it may not be that simple. Take the Toronto Pride event. What is sometimes billed as the largest or second largest gay Parade dans le monde (as is, incidentally, Atlanta, Sidney and Buenos Aires), has been targeted by a highly volatile torpedo that is likely to eclipse the event and potentially bring it to its knees (no, seriously!!!) . The issue is the Middle East and support for/against Israel – nothing to do with gay pride or gay politics. The event is being hijacked by radical anti-Israel groups and used as a platform to promote their position. While this is problematic under any circumstances, in this case it stands to become a major civic issue because there is a mayoral election under way – candidates are being asked to take positions on whether or not the City should continue to provide funding for the parade. The result is that the event is under the magnifying glass of the major news media in the kind of divisive language the world loves: supporters are pro-terrorist, anti Israel maniacs, contrarians are against free speech.

What do the sponsors do?  Continuing to support the parade could potentially be picked up in the mainstream media and interpreted as supporting anti-Israel activists. Terminating sponsorship could be seen as withdrawing support form a community that really has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

What would you do?

Buenos Aires
For more information:
encuentro@gnetwork360.com

Buenos Aires
For more information:
cesar.maschmann@iglcc.org

Sexuality/Diversity in the workplace survey launched by GLOBE
Access the survey here
For more information visit GLOBE Website

IGLTA’s 2010 Annual Global Convention
For more information: www.igltaconvention.org

Brasilia, Brazil
For more information: www.abglt.org

The International Day Against Homophobia, held on May 17 every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another. Fondation Émergence promotes, mainly on a pan-Canadian level, the International Day Against Homophobia and encourages organizations and individuals to highlight this event in their environment.
For more information: http://www.homophobie.org

The GLISA 2011 North America Outgames will be held from July 25^th to July 31^st 2011 and everybody is welcome.
For more information: http://vancouver2011outgames.com/

Wirtschaftsweiber & WyberNet, the national associations of lesbian managers and entrepreneurs of Germany and Switzerland have initiated an European online survey about "The L-World in Business".

Access the survey here
For more information: http://sites.google.com/site/thelworldinbusiness/Home

The 1st Hungarian LGBT Business Leaders Forum
For information and to download the program:
http://www.hblf.org/english/events/1st-hungarian-lgbt-business-leaders-forum-in-budapest.html

The premier gay and lesbian Pride event in Europe is EuroPride and will take place in Warsaw Poland from 8-18 July 2010.
Read all about it here

The 3^rd International GLBT Business Leader Forum is a platform to discuss: ''GLBT Diversity as a growth business factor in emerging markets''
View the program here

IGLCC 3^rd Annual Congress
With the report of the results and findings of the International Business Equality Index.

For more information:
www.iglcc.org
www.companyprideplatform.org

Colloquium about 2010 Index results and LGBT equality in business
September 23, 2010
BT Tower
For more information: cesar.maschmann@iglcc.org

Out & Equal Workplace Summit – Los Angeles, California
Now accepting workshop proposals for the 2010 Workplace Summit and nominations for the Out & Equal Workplace Awards, known as “the Outies.” The submittal deadline for both is April 30.
For more information: http://outandequal.org/summit-2010

2010 NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference: Out for Business!
For more information: http://www.nglcc.org/

NGLCC National Dinner: An Evening of Courage!
For more information: http://www.nglcc.org/

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