Ruling on same-sex marriage reinforces business efforts to tune in to LGBT issues

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By Sam Bonacci

When the U.S. Supreme Court pronounced same-sex marriage legal last month, businesses sprang into action on social media and their websites.

Amid the flurry of rainbow-colored messages in support of the decision were those from businesses that changed their logos and created messages of support to celebrate the occasion.

These very public expressions underscore businesses’ increasing degree of inclusion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, community.

Whether it’s companies lobbying for transgender equality in the workplace or a law firm publishing a blog that addresses legal issues specific to the community, businesses are saying it’s the right thing to do, and not just to avoid legal issues.

Companies are addressing inclusion inside and outside the workplace. Internally, employers are establishing policies and relying on diverse groups of employees as resources. Outside the company, businesses are working to show their support of LGBT citizens.

While Massachusetts has legal requirements around inclusion in the workplace, many companies are going beyond them. For example, internal efforts toward inclusion at Staples are aimed not just at LGBT workers, but also other groups such as African-Americans, with the goal of making the work environment more comfortable for all. Strictly from an employee efficiency standpoint, having employees feel comfortable at work will make them more productive, said Erika Hopkins, who leads Staples’ efforts focusing on inclusion and diversity.

“It’s aspirational — what do we want to look like and be like and represent (us) as a business?” Hopkins said. “It’s far more than checking a box … for us it’s not about compliance, it’s about what kind of company do you have and want to work for.”

She explained that the Framingham-based office supplies retailer has tried to remain ahead of the curve with LGBT policies nationwide. For instance, the company has offered the same benefits to heterosexual and gay married couples since 2005.

Part of that is not just policy. It comes via feedback from groups of employees. Staples has 17 of these groups nationwide, and each serves as a sounding board for the company’s advertising and outreach campaigns to ensure they’re responsive to the sentiments of a particular community. They also have direct access to upper management to ensure the company’s brand represents each group. These groups also organize speakers or events to boost awareness of issues throughout the company, Hopkins said.

Meanwhile, The TJX Cos. has five employee resource groups that help with networking and career development. They sponsor educational, volunteer and social events and are open to anyone in the company. One of those groups is a resource for the LGBT community and others who support it, spokeswoman Colleen Beauregard said.

“We aim to provide associates with tools to successfully navigate our diverse organization – whether that is training in how to work cross-culturally, providing development opportunities or just helping associates to build a personal network,” she said.

The results of how a company treats its employees extend beyond improving employee productivity, coming into play when an LGBT person buys something locally, according to John Trobough, president of the LGBT advocacy group Worcester Pride. Whether through word of mouth or organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, which rates companies on their LGBT policies, word gets around on a company’s attitude. For example, Worcester Pride would not support a restaurant that fires gay employees or doesn’t treat them well.

But some businesses boost their brands outside the office. TJX and Staples, for instance, have sponsored LGBT-related events and groups.

LGBT inclusion and the law

The Worcester-based law firm Bowditch & Dewey recently launched a blog devoted to LGBT issues, many of which are unique to lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual citizens, from how to establish wills and trusts to same-sex divorce. Many of the posts are built off recent legal rulings or societal developments, such as the transition of Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner to becoming a woman. (He changed his name to Caitlyn.) “There are a lot of legal issues that are specific to (the LGBT) community that people don’t realize are issues, and that community is a very loyal community,” Jennifer Garner, an associate at Bowditch & Dewey said. “Massachusetts has been at the cutting edge… it tends to be a very accepting place to live.”

This kind of outreach by the law firm can benefit companies because the socially conscious supporters of the LGBT community are even more widespread than those who are part of it, she said.

“Even if someone is not a member of the LGBT community, a lot of people care about it,” Garner said. “No community is built on the people in it alone — everyone has to have allies and the allies are as important as the people in it.”

The benefits to large companies can also filter down to smaller businesses, said Victoria Mariano, who owns and runs Electric Haze and Spiritual Haze hookah smoking lounges in Worcester. When Mariano opened her second location on Millbury Street nearly two years ago, she was approached soon after by a group that wanted to organize an LGBT dance night. The group, Airspray Worcester, created a safe place for everyone to dance on the third Friday of every month. In turn, that sent a message to the community that Electric Haze was friendly to the community, Mariano said.

“I think it’s about letting people know it’s a safe place with an open-minded business practice,” she added. “People don’t want to go somewhere where they feel judged and unwanted.”

This is the power of getting involved with the LGBT community, said Ashley Emerson Gilbert, who co-founded Airspray. LGBT people and their supporters will vote with their dollars when it comes to businesses that support and go out of their way to be inclusive, she said. Even having one event a month devoted to the community or sponsoring a Pride parade sends a message of inclusion.

“It’s not about sexual orientation anymore; it’s about a cultural shift,” Gilbert said. “It’s a movement and what we are talking about here is human rights.”

Business benefits

Other local businesses have reached out to the community and are seeing the benefit of increased patronage, she said. Since most Massachusetts residents are likely to appreciate a business that’s outwardly open to LGBT citizens, not reaching out is a missed opportunity, Gilbert said.

“These patrons have incredible buying power, influence and creative edge, so it’s advantageous for any business or community organization to wave their rainbow flag and welcome all people.”

Recent studies have pointed to the increased buying power of married gay couples over their straight counterparts. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, same-sex couples (both married and unmarried) have more spending power than their heterosexual counterparts. This is a market businesses can’t afford to ignore, Trobough said.

Trobough: Still room for improvement

Yet, while large companies in the Worcester area have made strong efforts toward LGBT inclusion and outreach, others still have room to improve, Trobough said.

“The mentality is that it’s been legal so long and you’ve got all these protections. So, of course, we are going to be accepting so we don’t have to go the extra mile to show that we have an LGBT sensibility,” he said.

For businesses that are struggling to reach out to the community, local LGBT groups are a good place to begin, he said.

“You want to be sure that, number one, you have a diverse staff and then, number two, that they feel supported and you can always ask (employees) about the connection with the community,” Trobough said.