How the gay leaders of the corporate-world are changing perceptions
It's Pride Month, and celebrities are once again in the public to take forward the LGBT campaign. And rightly so. It is sad that, gays, who have been ruling many industries by their work, are still being ostracized. But there are many gay leaders in the corporate-world who are using their orientation to affect change in something or the other- their society, their company, or their country's policies.
His was the first gay "married" status update on Facebook
Chris Hughes was 20 when his famous roommate, Mark Zuckerberg coded Facebook into creation. Hughes brought onto the table powerful social skills, something the others lacked. Together, he and husband Sean Eldridge have helmed a liberal publication, directed the Freedom to Marry movement, and led several social initiatives. Interestingly, it was this marriage that marked the first gay "married" status on Facebook in 2012.
This man's voice sent love for Apple soaring
Unlike most here, the orientation of Apple CEO Tim Cook, the first gay CEO in the Fortune 500, is widely known. When the iPhone X launched in Australia, he voiced support for its 'Yes' campaign. Under him, Apple's "First Dance" ad celebrated gay marriage. He's also spoken at the UN. Apart from boosting the LGBT movement, his voice has definitely boosted love for Apple.
This entrepreneur ruffled feathers by befriending Trump
Like others, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has voiced support for the community, but it hasn't worked out well. His backing of Donald Trump and fight against Gawker, among others, led to protests against organizations linked to him, including LGBT hangout Yass and HQ Trivia, a live trivia app. But he intends well: "I think Trump is very good on gay rights," he insists.
This Indian made his passion his profession
Parmesh Sahani, head of Godrej India Culture Lab, is doing his bit here. Luckily, his orientation, beliefs and professional work are all in tandem. His work in the form of books ('Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)Longing in Contemporary India') and editorial positions (at Verve), and being a recognized leader on several platforms (TED, Yale, WEF and more) has only pushed forward the movement.
This woman might just change the narrative at HuffPost
Lydia Polgreen, HuffPost editor-in-chief, has a double-edged sword: she's gay AND black, factors that likely boosted her leaning towards "empathy journalism." So one of Polgreen's initial tasks at HuffPost, often criticized for its clickbaity headlines, was a newsroom revamp, signaling a structural-change. "My goal is to be the place where (a) conversation's happening." We need more voices like all of them, now more than ever.
