I heard a story recently where a (very well intentioned) individual said he felt compelled to speak up about sexual harassment he witnessed at work because he had a daughter. He felt that by coming forward in this situation involving a female coworker, he was taking a step so his daughter would have a better future.

First black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court.

Like most of you, 2021 has been sort of surreal. After more than a year of some hybrid form of working from home with your “pod” of people (family, friends, or some combination thereof), where our collective 24/7 life cycle consisted of wake, eat, work, yell at your kids/friends/pets, maybe shower, binge watch a show, maybe exercise, maybe drink, and then repeat in some similar order again … and again.  The light at the end of the COVID tunnel seemed elusive, and for some it still is.   

UPDATE: (6/17/21) The SCOTUS ruled in the Fulton v City of Philadelphia case mentioned in this blog post. The SCOTUS unanimously decided that Philadelphia does not have the right bar a religious agency from refusing to work with same-sex couples.To read the full decision, click here.

June is Pride month, which celebrates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Allies and Pansexual (LGBTQIA+) persons. The annual recognition of Pride is in June to honor the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The Stonewall Riots occurred in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The raid lead to days of protests and clashes with law enforcement because of the violent way employees and patrons of the Stonewall Inn were treated during the raid. Although there have been gay rights organizations founded since the 1920’s, the Stonewall Uprising is considered by many to have kicked off a gay rights movement both in the United States and world-wide. As a result, there has been some progress.

Yes, you read that correctly. We are all implicitly biased, but that’s okay. No really, I promise.

EDITORS' NOTE: At Constangy, we like to say that DEI is in our DNA. Like many in the world, we in the DEI Practice Group are inspired by current events and strive to channel that inspiration to support and drive change within ourselves and with our clients. Neil Wasser, one of our Partners and Chair of our Firm’s Executive Committee, shared a personal message yesterday. His words and leadership resonated so strongly, and we would like to share them with you (with his permission, of course).  

- Lara and Punam 

When you think about diversity, equity, and inclusion, you may think about racial disparities in policing, criminal justice reform, gender wage gaps, or even statements by major corporations, politicians, or celebrities. Or you may think about the anti-discrimination and harassment training that you have to do at work. Another diversity battleground is emerging in our schools and institutions of higher learning, however, and not just related to affirmative action, but with curricula and diversity training. These developments are shining yet another light on our need to transform.

Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate all the moms, especially those who have managed through an unprecedented year as CEO of their families. Most days we are tired, beaten down emotionally and physically, feeling overworked and underappreciated. As COVID-19 continues to take a toll on daily life, schools, childcare, healthcare, workplaces, and the economy, are employers really doing enough to support women?

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear we are living at the crossroads of a historical moment; at the precipice of a time where the political, social, economic, technological, and cultural fabric of society is being bluntly examined and challenged. We the people, our businesses, and communities can no longer simply ignore the lack of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within our institutions. As a US Business in 2021, we are in a unique position to hold transformative power to change and contribute to a more open, diverse, and inclusive workplace and society.

Welcome to our blog! I had something completely different in mind for my inaugural blog post - but sometimes the best laid plans must give way to the times.