Out for Australia patron Christine Forster has highlighted why we still need to celebrate Lesbian Visibility Day and a committment to ensure that discrimination against same-sex attract women remains on the agenda.

In a piece written by Out for Australia CEO Dawn Hough Forster jokes that when she is asked about lesbian role models she often jokes that “there’s Ellen DeGeneres and Ellen DeGeneres.”

“In Australia we can now proudly add our national sweetheart Magda to the list, but the reality is, in our patriarchal world, the gay men have made it to public acceptance and prominence way ahead of us girls. And it’s been the same in business.” Forster said.

“Compare the relative profiles of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott. Sadly, it was no surprise in late 2016 when The Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine and accountancy firm Deloitte put together a list of top 50 LGBTI business leaders, and only 14 of them were women.”

Forster said that businesses benefit when they are more inclusive.

In her article Hough argues that while many businesses might question the need to be actively promote Lesbian Visibility Day, there is a wealth of evidence showing that lesbians still face challenges in the workplace.

Read the post on LinkedIn, 26 April is Lesbian Visibility Day

OIP Staff