IBM, Civil Society Groups Push for Greater LGBT+ Inclusion in Three Latin American Hubs

Businesses in Latin America are eager to demonstrate their openness to LGBT+ individuals.

Hundreds of corporate leaders at three key South American business hubs – Lima, Bogota, and Buenos Aires – will take part in a series of conferences starting tomorrow aimed to help businesses in Latin America be more welcoming to LGBT+ individuals.

The conferences reflect a growing demand among corporate leaders in this part of the world to make inclusivity a part of their business model. The conferences are led by IBM, a global business leader; Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the worlds’ premier nonprofit dedicated to achieving global LGBT workplace equality; and Fundación Iguales, a regional expert on LGBT+ issues. 

“IBM drives innovation by investing in talent and inclusion programs globally. These programs allow IBMers to bring their authentic selves to work, not only empowering them to flourish but also strengthening IBM as a whole. We are proud to partner with Out & Equal and Fundacion Iguales to share our models of success and to support regional businesses in their journey to greater LGBT+ market engagement.” Tony Tenicela, Global Leader, Marketplace Diversity and Workforce Engagement Services.

“Some of the most exciting progress happening globally for LGBT+ workforce inclusion is across Latin America. There is a wave of momentum, spurred initially by multinationals and readily adopted by leading local Latin employers. Now is the time to make these foundational commitments to inclusion a reality and hone business incentives for the South American market. We are thrilled to partner with IBM – a global leader – and Fundación Iguales – regional experts – to take this conversation to the next level with dozens of major businesses.” Deena Fidas, Managing Director, Global Stakeholder Engagement, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.

“Businesses in Latin America sometimes think that only multinationals can make progress on this LGBT+ inclusion. That’s wrong. Experience proves that any company can create an inclusive environment for LGBT+ people.” Emilio Maldonado, General Director, Fundación Iguales.

The conferences will take place in Lima, Peru on May 10^th; Buenos Aires, Argentina on May 13^th; and Bogota, Columbia on May 15^th. 

For over 100 years, IBM has had a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion and is frequently recognized for its leadership in inclusion, most recently as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by HRC and with a top 10 spot on Working Mother’s list of Best Companies for Multicultural Women.  Today, Diversity & Inclusion at IBM is focused on all aspects of an individual’s background, experiences and identity. IBM believes that an inclusive workplace leads to greater innovation, agility, performance and engagement and enables both greater business growth and societal impact.

Out & Equal is the worlds’ premier nonprofit dedicated to achieving global LGBT workplace equality.

Fundación Iguales is an NGO in Chile founded in 2011 with the mission of full gender and sexual diversity inclusion in all aspects of Chilean society. The organization has overseen the expansion of Pride Connection Chile and the largest workplace inclusion programs in the country.