Thank you, David Ackert , Michelle Turner , Jacob Eidinger , Nathalie Rangel Iovino (she.they) , Craig McCullough , and all involved in the Legal Marketing Association - LMA International #DEI #LGBTQ member resource group as well as all our resource groups. Such an important and beautiful offering.
I can't express my gratitude enough for the LGBTQ+ member resource group. It was my safe space last year as LMA International president. I felt like I had a place where I could speak openly and honestly to my unique experiences professionally and personally as a gay man. Being international prez was the honor of my life, but it was also one of the toughest things I've ever done. I grew so much from the experience, but it was essential for my well being and mental health to have a group of like-minded, like-experienced colleagues with whom to discuss the balancing act in my life and theirs.
It's important to note that a very large part of an organization's commitment to DEI is to understand the seemingly invisible barriers those of us may face. Right or wrong, we (I) carry a feeling of "otherness" everywhere we go, and the pressure and critique we experience when taking on leadership roles can feel magnified. What may seem like an offhand, even well-intentioned comment from a peer can hit us like a ton of bricks based on prior experience. Comments about our attire/appearance, our choice of expression, our visibility, our decision-making processes, and so on. So, selfishly, the LGBTQ+ MRG helped provide me a trusted community to better navigate that – people who did the same work I do, lived a similar life to mine, and carried comparable burdens. It honestly was a beautifully liberating experience to attend the meetings and share our truths.
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