Written by: Casimiro da Silva Santos, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Since June 2009, we have celebrated the pride of the LGBTQIA+ community to commemorate the Stonewall Raids that took place in June 1969. Let us start by getting the baseline right with a bit of history about the movement and why coaching LGBTQIA+ professionals is crucial for your business and organization.
What does LGBTQIA+ mean, and why do we celebrate pride?
The LGBTQIA+ community is a group that encompasses people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and/or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In the early morning of 28 June 1969, the New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village (NYC, USA). The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street, in neighboring streets, and nearby Christopher Park. The Stonewall Riots catalyzed the gay rights movement in the United States and worldwide.
"LGBTQIA+ group of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and/or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity."
In 1999 and 2000, President Bill Clinton named June "Gay & Lesbian Pride Month." Then, from 2009 through 2016, President Barack Obama recognized June LGBT Pride Month every year he was in office. In 2019, Donald Trump became the first Republican president to recognize LGBT Pride Month, but he did it through a tweet rather than a proclamation. His office presented the tweet as an official "Statement from the President." In 2021, President Joe Biden designated June to be LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Honestly, I do not need a month to celebrate who I am. However, my community needs it, which is why I support it.
"Every day, I celebrate pride by being who I am and bringing my whole self to life even to work."
One of my values is authenticity. I live it by bringing my whole self to life, even to work. And I am uber-proud to be so proud that I have created the hashtag proud to be, which I use in my social posts when needed and when I see fit.
Empowerment among LGBTQIA+ professionals
More than ever, the need for empowerment among LGBTQIA+ professionals has never been more apparent. Corporations are investing in creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. There is an urgent need to provide self-expression opportunities that allow people to be heard and seen by others outside their circles.
The LGBTQIA+ community in organizations faces unique challenges in the workplace and can benefit tremendously from leadership and executive coaching.
For starters, being and belonging are mutually exclusive options for LGBTQIA+ young professionals as they begin to discover and define themselves. A lifetime spent sacrificing authenticity for belonging should not be expected or even desired by any organization willing to embrace the inclusion of professionals who belong to the community. Being for the safety of belonging makes a most unfortunate impact on one's ability to understand and honor themselves cleanly and clearly. What have I learned being an LGBTQIA+ coach?
Top 5 coaching needs of LGBTQIA+ professionals
Based on my experience as an LGBTQIA+ coach, I've learned about the most critical top 5 coaching needs of LGBTQIA+ Professionals. These insights have impacted my entire coaching approach to LGBTQIA+ people:
Fear of discrimination, particularly for those with previous experience of homophobic/transphobic bullying in their lives.
Lack of visible LGBTQIA+ leadership and executive coaches.
Fear of discriminatory language being used by managers, peers, and colleagues whether they are perceived to be an LGBTQIA+ professional or not.
A strong belief in a lack of awareness of career, leadership, and development opportunities just because you are an LGBTQIA+ professional.
Lack of self-confidence and self-worth, you feel not worthy of a chance just because of your sexual orientation and gender.
Understanding your needs as an LGBTQIA+ professional and helping you succeed in an industry or organization.
What you need to thrive in the role of an LGBTQIA+ Coach
Executive and leadership coaching for LGBTQIA+ professionals and leaders can help understand the needs in an industry or organization that may not know what is needed for LGBTQIA+ persons to thrive. I work with clients who want to succeed while being in and belonging to an organization that matches their values. This is the only way the authentic self can shine and thrive in industries and organizations that do not know what such professionals need. My approach is collaborative, supportive, and solution-oriented. This results in leadership and executive coaching that's genuine and empathetic and feels tailored to your story, as I can relate to you through my own story. I empathize with and understand your struggles, beliefs, and fears.
What does it mean to coach in a genuine and empathetic manner?
Here is what it looks like when I coach my clients and what you can experience when you work with me in your transformation and self-affirmation:
A personalized approach; as your coach, you will have an authentic, compassionate, empathic, and individualized approach. You can expect your coaching sessions to be tailored to your story, the impact of the LGBTQIA+ community, and your gender and sexual orientation on your career and leadership skills development. I know and can understand how it feels and how hard it can be to be and belong, as they are not mutually exclusive.
Caring: This coaching results in learning about yourself, caring, supportive, and understanding. It also helps with building confidence in yourself as a person. You feel support from others outside of family or friends who might otherwise be able to understand your experience better than someone who has not experienced what it means to be within the LGBTQIA+ community themselves (and they may even try harder than they should).
Open-mindedness to authenticity: As a coach, open-mindedness is critical to curiosity about others. I act as a guide in exploring my client's intellect and emotions, encouraging the development of emotional intelligence and, through the lens of their perspective and experiences, will help the client engage their true self.
It is a tremendous honor for me to ignite solutions and super-strengths from inside my LGBTQIA+ clients' tales with happy and genuine endings through my coaching business, Bring The Best.
I firmly believe that the absence of substantive executive and leadership coaching for LGBTQIA+ professionals in corporations allows for expanding the craft to other audiences within these. LGBTQIA+ professionals have been isolated, ignored, discriminated against, derided, and demeaned for generations.
Wrap Up: Transformation is key to happiness
With help from a coach who understands what you need from an LGBTQIA+ perspective, you can jump-start a new career or thrive in your current job and life. Transformation is key to happiness as we strive for a better version of ourselves. Happiness is not success, and success is not happiness. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
"Being LGBTQIA+ is different from the norm. It shouldn't, yet it is."
Being LGBTQIA+ is different from the norm. It shouldn't, yet it is.
I felt that all my life. However, I did not care. It's all about having an authentic self that feels free to express itself. When people feel free and comfortable in their skin, they are happier and more productive at work and in life. A coach will help clients develop the skills, strategies, and confidence necessary for thriving in any career environment — and this includes supporting them through challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ community in the workplace.
Casimiro da Silva Santos, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Casimiro da Silva Santos, better known as Cas, uses as pronouns he/his. He is a dad, a business and climate action leader, a coach, and a speaker. His mission is to create a perspective of abundance, alleviating scarcity so that we can live a brighter future. After a transformational coaching experience with Simon Sinek Inc., Cas decided to create Bring the Best®, a coaching and consulting firm for personal development and business growth. Through individual, career, and executive coaching, Bring the Best transforms lives so that each person can live the life they want and dream about. His coaching style is authentic and empathetic, with a special focus on the LGBTQIA+ community.
