Official: Diversity a necessary value in
government,
U.S. Department of State Chief Diversity Officer John Robinson speaks to Charlotte Business Guild
by Matt Comer matt@goqnotes.com
CHARLOTTE —The U.S.
Department of State's chief diversity officer
told a group of LGBT community and busi
ness leaders gathered at Uptown's Crown
Plaza Hotel on May 17 that a commitment to
diversity and equality is a necessary com
ponent of his work and valued by President
Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
John Robinson, director of the State
Department's Division on Civil Rights, is re
sponsible for equal employment opportunity
enforcement at the U.S. State Department.
Invited by the Charlotte Business Guild, an
LGBT business networking organization, and
a host of other local LGBT groups, Robinson
spoke to community leaders on the neces
sity for diversity in the federal workforce.
The U.S. State Department has been on
the forefront of LGBT equality initiatives.
Under President Obama and Secretary
Clinton, the department has instituted
various initiatives to provide fair and
equitable treatment of LGBT employees
and their partners. In June 2009, the Obama
Administration extended equal family
benefits to both same-sex and opposite-sex
domestic partners of civil service and for
eign service employees, as well as children
of those partners. Similar benefits were
offered to all federal employees by presi
dential memorandum in June 2010. Those
benefits include travel arrangements, health
and leave benefits and insurance benefits.
Robinson also spoke on the general need
for diversity inclusion in business environ
ments, both public and private.
"It is the business case that makes the
difference," Robinson told a crowd of close
to 100 attendees. "It's nice when people
do things because its the right thing to do
but to make progress in your comniunity
you have to find the business case. People
have to see that it is in their organizational
best interest in order to get the best talent,
in order to be elected or in order to get
your business."
Responding to critics who say such
business-focused initiatives often fail to
change hearts or minds, Robinson said there
remains room for achievement.
"Start with the behavior modification,
then sometimes the heart will follow," he said,
"but even if it doesn't if behavior modification
becomes permanent then that's progress."
Commitments to diversity and inclusion
start from the top and work their way down;
such leadership is outspoken and inten
tional, Robinson said.
"It turns out that to be the best diversity
manager, you have to declare your values
and make them clear to people," he said. "It
also means in order to be effective ... you
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AVTtftSeitMCC
Director of U.S. Department of State Office
of Civil Rights John Robinson speaks to the
LGBT leaders and community members at the
Charlotte Business Guild.
have to be clear in your commitment—to
make it visible, to make it verbal, to make it
high profile."
Effective leadership also sets goals and
keeps them in mind, Robinson suggested.
"In terms of a policy agenda we are
bringing, ask yourself what you want the
end in mind for your community to be," he
said."What do you want the end in mind to
be here in Charlotte? And, what can you do
to bring it about? We're all involved in that
... What's it going to be at the end?"
The key to success, he said, is personal:
^ "As far as a 'magic bullet' — you are the
magic bullet It's us. It's about leadership.
It's about community and honesty. It's about
being willing to share personal stories even
when it's uncomfortable."
Robinson's speaking engagement is the
second time in as many months that federal
officials have visited Charlotte to speak
on LGBT issues. In April, Assistant U.S.
Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas
Perez spoke on bullying and LGBT inclusion
at Northwest School of the Arts. Afterward,
he joined U.S. Attorney for the Western
District of North Carolina Anne Tompkins,
who is lesbian, in a closed-door meeting
with LGBT community leaders.
The Charlotte Business Guild meet
ing was also sponsored by the local
steering committee of the Human Rights
Campaign, Equality North Carolina and
the Mecklenburg LGBT Political Action
Committee (MeckPAC).::
Corrections
In our April 30,2011, print edition
article on a Charlotte production of
the musical "RENT," we incorrectly
identified the role to be played by Calvin
Grant He wilj starves character Tom
Collins, a role in which he was also cast
on Broadway. We regret the error.
Have corrections to send our way?
Feel free to let us know via editor®
goqnotes.com or by calling 704-531-9988,
ext 202.
8 qnOtGS May 28-June 10.2011