LGBT MPA CEO Cameron Curtis explains why now is not the time to back away from advocating for equality and inclusivity in the meetings and events industry.
The LGBT Meeting Professionals Association (LGBT MPA) recently published a “Call for United Action on LGBTQIA2+ Inclusion in the Events Industry” that implores the association’s members, allies and the global events community to “unite with us in adopting and promoting policies that protect LGBTQIA2+ rights, address, biases and dismantle barriers.”
Prevue recently caught up with LGBT MPA’s CEO Cameron Curtis, CMM, CAE (she/her) Founder and CEO of C2 Association Strategies, to learn more about the challenges now facing the meeting industry’s LGBTQIA+ members, and why meeting professionals are uniquely positioned to promote a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.
Prevue: Why did LGBT MPA feel it was necessary to issue a call to action to support equality and inclusivity in the meetings and events industry now?
Curtis: LGBT MPA’s vision is, “a global events community where all are accepted, equal and belong” so we have an obligation to respond when our ability to achieve that vision is threatened.
The recent actions that led to the dismantling of [diversity, equity and inclusion] DEI programs and removal of protections that support the LGTBQIA2+ community, specifically transgender people, e.g., creating safety issues by removing the gender X marker from U.S. government-issued IDs, will negatively impact meetings, events and economic growth in U.S. destinations as organizations make decisions on where to hold meetings based on their ability to deliver a safe and inclusive experience for all attendees.
As the voice of the LGBTQ+ global events community, we have the opportunity and responsibility to ensure that every person — whether attending or organizing events — can do so with the knowledge that they are safe, valued, heard and free from discrimination.
Prevue: How is the meetings and events industry uniquely qualified, if not ethically required, to step up to protect LGBTQ+ colleagues, attendees, sponsors, and all others involved in organizing and producing an event?
Curtis: As the platform for connection and collaboration across diverse groups, the global events industry is uniquely positioned to protect LGBTQ+ individuals because together we can set global standards for safe and inclusive events.
Ethics is doing what’s right even when no one is looking and as architects of positive experiences, we have an ethical obligation to ensure that destinations, venues, programs and events are designed to foster inclusion, equity, and belonging regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, race, disability, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of a person’s identity.
Prevue: What can your members, allies, and the global meetings and events community at large do to protect rights, address biases, and dismantle barriers, despite our increasingly polarized environment? How can this industry model inclusivity and acceptance for attendees?
Curtis: As an industry, we can promote and adopt policies that ensure safety for everyone — organizers and attendees — and stand with organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community. We can make tangible differences by creating inclusive event spaces, ensuring representation across all identities; being proactive in addressing bias and discrimination at every level of event planning and execution; modeling inclusivity by promoting diverse voices in the planning stages; ensuring program content and panels are inclusive and representative of the diversity in our industry; offering training on inclusive practices; and implementing a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination.
Learn more on the LGBT MPA website.
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