GlobalAge Members Show Their Pride

Around the world, June is widely recognized as Pride Month for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Hundreds of cities celebrate with colorful parades and street fairs. Within the local GlobalAge groups for GE, GLBT employees and their friends have participated in pride events since GlobalAge's inception in 2001. NBC Universal's employee group started more than a decade ago as ANGLE (Association of NBC Gay and Lesbian Employees). Today they are part of the greater GlobalAge family.

GE Medical Systems, NBC and GlobalAge were proud to be a part of the 13th Annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit, October 2 - 4, 2003.  Out & Equal Workplace Advocates champions safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.  They advocate building and strengthening successful organizations that value all employees, customers and communities. Over 600 participants from around the world gathered together in Minneapolis, Minnesota to network, attend workshops and hear a panel of guest speakers that included Ann Richards, 45th Governor of Texas; Esera Tuaolo, retired NFL player, activist and singer; and Mitchell Gold, president of the Mitchell Gold Company. 

In February 2004 ERC, a division of GE Insurance, held the official roll-out of their local GlobalAge group in Chicago, joining the ranks of other GlobalAge groups at Healthcare, Commercial Finance, Consumer Finance, NBC, and Xerox Vendor Financial Services, to mention a few.  The roll-out was attended by Alfreda Bradley-Coar, Chris Fryson, Guoxing Chai, Healthcare President, Robin Sterneck, Joyce Robinson, Mike Gill, Michael Wiggins and other Leaders.  With 25 callers on the line and a packed room, Mike set the tone that welcomed the first ERC event sponsored by GlobalAge, the newest local affinity group at ERC. 

On June 10^th, Michael Wiggins of GlobalAge participated as a local Ambassador in Camp Heartland's "Dining Out for Life" where restaurants across southeastern Wisconsin donate 25% of their proceeds from the full-day event. Camp Heartland is a camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

ERC's local GlobalAge Chapter held an event for the Kansas City area on June 14, 2004 at the Metcalf Building Auditorium in Overland Park, KS.  Jeanne Mason, ERC's Global HR Leader, hosted the meeting.  Guest speakers Barbara Raab (NBC), Catherine Kelly (President of cjk, inc., a Public Relations and Marketing firm), and Michael Wiggins of GlobalAge spoke on a variety of topics, including diversity work in a corporate environment.

On June 26^th, members of GlobalAge in the Tampa Bay area marched with other corporate GLBT employee groups in St. Petersburg, Florida's second annual Pride Promenade.  The event attracted 15-20,000 well-wishers.

GlobalAge Members in Mason, Ohio hosted two movies ("Breaking Through the Surface" and "Before Stonewall") and several speakers during their "Out for Diversity" celebration throughout the month of June.  Speakers included Michael Wiggins of GlobalAge and J E Martin of GE Card Services.  Chapter Leaders from a local PFLAG Chapter (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) led several discussion groups, as well.

Michael Wiggins, a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt engineer formerly employed at GE Healthcare and originator of the GlobalAge.org Idea, comments: "My two main goals have been: 1) to help improve understanding by sharing materials and resources gleaned from proven best practices developed at other corporations, and 2) to get employees connected to develop a more inclusive culture.  From the engineering perspective,  I see that these two goals can lead to increased employee productivity."  Michael is also the director and webmaster of GlobalAge.org which has been the foundation resource for all GlobalAge / Gay and Lesbian Pride Forum groups at GE.

J E Martin, a master black belt and co-founder of the GE Consumer Finance group, now termed Gay and Lesbian Pride Forum, observes, "GlobalAge connects seamlessly with GE's Global Employer of Choice initiative."  Dozens of prominent employers throughout the financial sector and elsewhere are also supporting their GLBT employees.  For example, groups are active at American Express, Citigroup, KPMG, JP Morgan/Chase, Prudential, UBS Paine Webber, and each of the big three automakers.

For those in the Chicago area, Elfun and the local GlobalAge group co-sponsored a volunteer event on July 10^th, benefiting the Howard Brown Health Center - a full service health center for Chicago's GLBT community.  The event, called "Design Daze," featured designer furniture, decor and clothing at garage sale prices.  All sales directly benefit Howard Brown.

GlobalAge.org is alive and engaged across the United States and across the world.  Our mission is in line with the Employer of Choice core values of top corporations, where each employee is allowed to achieve full potential, is valued and respected, and is contributing to a safe, equitable work environment.