#50For50 Pride Campaign Launch
We are excited to announce our #50For50 campaign to mark the fifty years since the Stonewall movement began, and to encourage industry leaders to pledge support for LGBT+ diversity and inclusion across the industry.
The Stonewall riots are widely regarded as the catalyst for progress in LGBT+ equality and human rights. The #50For50 campaign is commemorating this monumental fifty year anniversary by encouraging fifty industry executives to step into the light as visible LGBT+ allies.
So far, the campaign has secured the support from a series of high profile industry leaders including Group CFO and Board Member of Fidelity International Simon Haslam; CEO of Legal and General Retirement Institutional Laura Mason; EVP of Northern Trust Penny Biggs; CEO of Schroders Peter Harrison and CEO of AXA Investment Managers, Andrea Rossi.
Launched in 2017, LGBT Great is a corporate membership initiative focused on measuring and improving LGBT+ diversity and inclusion maturity within the investment and savings industry through insights, visibility and outreach programs. One of our key initiatives is Project 1000 - our five-year drive to shine a light on one-thousand LGBT+ and ally role models working within the global industry. We work collaboratively with Diversity Project UK, Diversity Project North America, and other diversity initiatives such as Investment2020 and InterInvest.
Colette Comerford, inclusion & culture leader at Legal and General Investment Management, is actively supporting the campaign to encourage industry senior leadership to step up in support at such a momentous time in LGBT+ history. Comerford co-leads the LGBT+ workstream of the Diversity Project with LGBT Great Managing Director Matthew Cameron. She states that:
“The #50For50 campaign is a powerful next step for LGBT Great, building on Project 1000 which has connected the community, created a sense of belonging and given visibility to LGBT+ role models and allies”.
She adds that:
“This continues to drive the importance of visible leadership support for LGBT+ inclusion, and sends a strong message to LGBT+ people, those working in the investment profession or prospective talent, that they can be themselves. These leaders recognise the value of an inclusive culture and in driving equality on gender, gender identity and sexual orientation - across all aspects of diversity. I am delighted to play my part, and am encouraged by seeing LGBT+ leaders across the industry step up, take action and make a difference for everyone.”
Stonewall’s Chair, Jan Gooding comment’s that:
“There is no doubt that we have seen positive progress for LGBT people since the movement started. However, there is still a lot to do to translate legal change into everyday experience. Employers therefore need to ‘come out’ as supportive allies and what’s more, this is a way of signalling an actively inclusive culture to everyone who works in your company”.
Project 1000 has gained significant momentum with participation from over two-hundred and fifty role models across more than sixty different firms. The #50For50 campaign follows the publication of our ‘Aiming for Great’ report, which concluded that 92% of LGBT+ employees in the investment and savings industry say that visible support from board level executives is important to them. Until now, there has been a relatively low level of involvement from the industry’s executive and board level representatives which is exactly what this campaign seeks to address.
Our Managing Director, Matthew Cameron, comments that:
“This campaign marks a clear turning point for the industry and proves that there is real appetite to drive LGBT+ equality forward from the top. We have been encouraged by the overwhelming support from leadership to influence the agenda and hope that the campaign will be a catalyst for future progression in the industry and beyond. The progress in fifty years has been monumental and with a stand of inter-sectional solidary from those in power, there is a real opportunity to move the agenda forward at a much faster pace”.
The #50For50 campaign will build through the month of June and the final line up is set to be revealed at 12 noon on Friday 5th July.
To feature your executives in the campaign, please contact a member of our team directly by emailing info@LGBTGreat.com