Insights and action come out of LocLife's LGBTQ+ event
The second episode of LocLife, Pride at work: LGBTQ+ perspectives, took place September 10th, giving more than 100 attendees plenty to talk and think about in terms of the state of diversity in the localization industry.
Moderated by Acclaro’s global brand champion Javi Diaz, the jam-packed discussion featured panelists:
- Patrick Chew, internationalization manager at Change.org
- Fabiano Cid, chief operations officer at OXO Innovation
- Terence Maikels, enterprise translation manager at Starbucks
- Patrick Nunes, director, global communications & design at Rotary International
- Emma Vila Servat, content agency team leader at Booking.com
The group fielded questions from some surprise industry guests and dove into the challenges, progress, and setbacks involving inclusion in their personal lives, the workplace and the localization industry as a whole.
Did you miss out on the conversation? You’re in luck— watch the on-demand session here!
Memorable takeaways
From the intersectionality of race, gender and queerness to inclusivity during the hiring process, participants raised important issues, and panelists answered their questions live. Here are some key soundbites:
In response to how difficult it was to create a diverse panel for this session of LocLife, Fabiano Cid noted, “I haven’t had contact with more than one transgender in this industry. I don’t know whether people aren’t showing their true identity or we haven’t been able to welcome them to our community. We’re so open to culture and races; we should be open to gender identities and gender in general.” Patrick Chew added, “Without any overt assurances like safe spaces, ambassadors or externally visible affirmations, people are going to err on the side of being a little bit more cautious.”
Aaron Schliem from Welocalize asked about the intersectionality of race, gender and queerness, and Emma Vila Servat discussed her feelings of privilege and acceptance in response. “I’m a lesbian, but I’m white and was lucky enough to have parents who had the resources to pay by for schooling. I was born in a country where not only they don’t kill me for being gay, but there are laws against homophobia. So, I feel privileged in a way, even though I think there’s a long way to go in terms of general acceptance in society. One of the things they don’t tell you is that, you think once you come out to your parents, that’s it. And that’s not the case. We have to come out almost on a daily basis throughout our lives.”
When Hilary Normanha from ASICS asked about the state of inclusivity in the hiring process, Patrick Nunes shared, “At Rotary, we have a phenomenal team implementing great measures corporate-wise with diversity, equity and inclusion.” He recommended companies assess their diversity, and then use inclusive language in job postings and diverse imagery on company websites.
Terrence Maikels discussed a concept Starbucks focuses on when Damián Fernández from Booking.com asked about inclusivity. “One of the top words we’re using at Starbucks is allyship. At the corporate-level, what are you doing to foster a positive culture that’s accepting? And if you’re seeing things that aren’t right…how do you not be a passive bystander. On a personal level…when someone is open with their private life to you, how do you acknowledge that in a way that isn’t offputting.”
Keep up with the conversation
Don’t forget that LocLife is an ongoing series that you can take part in with questions and commentary. Learn more about the online event, and stay tuned for our next session and accompanying registration details.
