One Iowa and OutNebraska to Host First LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit in Council Bluffs/Omaha Area
One Iowa and OutNebraska, two statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) organizations, will host the first Council Bluffs/Omaha LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit next month:
Council Bluffs/Omaha LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit:
Thursday, October 3
12:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Metro Community College South Omaha Campus – Industrial Training Center
2909 Edward Babe Gomez Ave, Omaha, NE 68107
Ticket link
This event will provide resources and networking opportunities for employers and LGBTQ employees to cultivate safe and inclusive workplaces. Employers will learn more about the LGBTQ community, how to make more inclusive policies, and retain LGBTQ talent. One Iowa will host similar summits in central Iowa, the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor, Siouxland, the Cedar Valley, and Dubuque later this fall.
“For many of us, our workplace is where we spend most of our lives outside of our home,” One Iowa Executive Director Dan Royer said. “If we don’t feel safe and respected there, it has a negative impact on our entire lives.”
“Unfortunately, data shows that nearly half of LGBTQ people do not feel comfortable enough to be fully out at work. This statistic is unacceptable, and our goal for this event is to develop more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ Iowans through collaboration with employers, LGBTQ employees, and allies.”
“We’re so proud of Omaha for having policy in place to protect LGBTQ employees,” OutNebraska Executive Director Abbi Swatsworth said. “However, we know that policy is only one piece of equity and inclusion practices. Because Nebraska offers no statewide protections, employers and employees in the larger Omaha metro area and in Lincoln can benefit from the great content in this summit. We look forward to improving the culture for LGBTQ Nebraskans.”
Topics covered will include:
- Best practices for LGBTQ employment and workplace policy
- Strategies for creating inclusive spaces for non-binary employees
- LGBTQ terminology and general knowledge
- The business case for LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace
The summit keynote speaker is Eli Rigatuso, an activist, video producer, and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. Rigatuso recently received the 2019 Heartland Youth Pride Marsha P. Johnson Change Maker Award for his contributions to the Omaha LGBTQ community and visibility as a transgender person. He often talks to local businesses and employers about inclusion and LGBTQ visibility in the workplace.
Tickets for the Council Bluffs/Omaha LGBTQ Workplace Culture Summit are available at this link. LGBTQ community members are encouraged to pay what they can to attend.
Press is welcome at this event.
One Iowa and OutNebraska have partnered with the Greater Omaha Chamber to provide this half-day event in correlation with The Conference on Opportunity, Diversity, and Equity, which will take place one day later on Friday, October 4.
