When I was asked to reflect on the year so far amidst planning for Autumn and 2025, my first thought was, “Where to start!” It’s been an extraordinarily busy and impactful year for Out Leadership. We’ve held programming across four continents, hosting over 1,000 LGBTQ+ leaders and allies. I’ve had the privilege of joining Todd on our world tour, visiting Tokyo, Hong Kong, and my native London, and ending our summit series in New York City. It was a lot of work, but we both powered through our tour energised, and you’ll see why below….
Pictured above: Meg Stretton and Todd Sears at the 2024 Asia Summit.
Whenever my friends and family ask about my travels as the Director of Global Events with Out Leadership, I first think about the amazing people we connect with and the hope I carry from being a fly on the wall throughout our events, and I am also overwhelmed by the gratitude we receive for fostering community when we travel outside our NYC home base. Despite the pushback on DEI, many of our CEOs and business decision-makers are more committed than ever to driving equality, and in regions where dedicated spaces for LGBTQ+ people are not as available, our events feel like a reunion of new and old friends alike.
In Tokyo, we hosted our largest group of senior leaders ever for a discussion on Active Allyship. The increased participation compared to our last visit in 2024 was extremely promising. This couldn’t have been possible without the commitment of amazing leaders like Ed Weeks of HSBC and Takeshi Nakao from Freshfields, who not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.
Pictured above: From left to right: Todd Sears, Ivan Yeung, Sophie Warner-Fog, and Seiji Yasubuchi speaking on a panel at the 2024 Tokyo VIP Reception.
In Hong Kong, Amazon sent five leaders from around the world, including South Africa, to join our programming. The friendships they developed with other emerging leaders that week will forever bring a smile to my face. I also have to shout out the Glamazon Merch they shared with us–it was so much fun!
In London, we reconnected with friends we made during last year’s Gay Games. Darkwah joined us as a speaker for our OutWOMEN+ panel hosted by Bank of America and also performed their new single at our VIP Reception at the Barbican – the room was captivated! We were also moved to tears by the incredible leadership stories of our speakers. We even got to celebrate Michelle Weltman’s breaking news of making the London Marathon prize money inclusive for all abilities – a huge win for everyone. (the BBC aired it the next day).
Pictured above: The Out Leadership team at OL’s first-ever Trans & Nonbinary Leadership Summit.
In New York, we hosted our first-ever Trans & Nonbinary Leadership Summit. This was a true labour of love, made possible by our fabulous sponsors Microsoft, Amazon, and Hachette. Years in the making, this was a very emotional day for all of us. Friendships formed before our eyes, and the palpable joy was contagious–we knew this was just the beginning.
That’s a feeling I often have on the Out Leadership team – this is just the beginning. We have so much work to do. Behind the scenes, planning our events, I see our incredible potential and reach. With additional sponsorship and support, we can continue to push through the anti-DEI movement and remind everyone of the importance of making this work a core value and initiative. By connecting people globally with data–because we all love data–and humanity, we know we can come out of this period bigger and bolder and continue to celebrate more wins for our community globally.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. Here’s to continuing the work and making lasting change together!
Best,
Meg Stretton
Director of Global Events
P.S. Keep an eye out for our upcoming events, and be sure to register as many of your team to attend as possible!
Here’s what you need to know this week…
#1
United Kingdom seats largest-ever cohort of LGBTQ+ Members of Parliament, promising LGBTQ+ progress.
Pictured above: The newly elected Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom.
In snap elections held on July 4th, voters across the United Kingdom ended 14 years of rule by the Conservative Party as Labour won a whopping 411 seats in the new Parliament. Following Labour’s landslide victory, 66 openly LGBTQ+ MPs from 5 parties are sworn into office, the most ever.
On July 17th, King Charles presided over the State Opening of Parliament and delivered the King’s Speech, outlining the Keir Starmer-led government objectives for the new legislative session. The United Kingdom’s new leadership has committed to banning the dangerous and medically-repudiated practice of conversion therapy, according to the priorities outlined at the State Opening of Parliament.
The previous Conservative government also claimed it would ban the harmful practice, but failed to do so as it was embroiled in debate over issues of gender identity. Under Conservative leadership, the National Health Service began offering conflicting assessments regarding LGBTQ+ healthcare. For instance, the NHS banned the use of puberty blockers in trans children while continuing to recommend the medication for cisgender children experiencing precocious puberty.
#2
Announcing the 2024 Australia Summit!
Pictured above: Australia Summit 2024 announcement.
Save the date! Out Leadership is back down under from October 21 to October 24. As we celebrate Out Leadership’s 8th year in Australia, we are excited to share cutting-edge research, showcase world-class speakers, and create inspiring networking opportunities.
- OutNEXT: the world’s first and only global talent accelerator dedicated to developing the next generation of global LGBTQ+ business leaders. Since 2014 OutNEXT has engaged 4,500+ emerging LGBTQ+ leaders from 200+ organizations on 4 continents.
- OutWOMEN+: unlocks unparalleled advantages for LGBTQ+ women, helping them discover new connections to clients and colleagues, develop innovative business ideas in a collaborative setting, and expand their access to new market opportunities.
- OutQUORUM: the first-of-its-kind initiative, designed to increase LGBTQ+ inclusion and diversity on the corporate board level.
- CEO Dinner: an exclusive salon dinner for CEOs to discuss Australia’s incredible progress on LGBTQ+ issues and engage in candid and thought-provoking conversations to further advance equality.
- VIP Reception: an exciting opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ+ achievements and hear from individuals who have been vital to the progress of our community.
The 2024 Australia Summit will be hosted by Abundium, Allen’s Australia, American Express, Citi, HSBC, RBC Capital Markets and the Sydney Swans.
#3
California Gov. Gavin Newsome signs law to protect LGBTQ+ children from forced outing.
Pictured above: Califronia Gov. Gavin Newsome walking in a Pride parade. Photo via: Terry Schmitt/UPI
Califonia has enacted a first-of-its-kind law aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students from having their sexual orientation or gender identity revealed to third parties without their express permission. The SAFETY Act bans policies that require schools to disclose a student’s privately held identity and protects teachers who refuse to divulge privately shared information about their students from retaliation. The law is designed as a bulwark against the rising number of politically motivated attacks against LGBTQ+ youth.
The policy allows LGBTQ+ students who may be struggling with their identity or aspects of their mental health to seek potentially life-saving resources from their teachers, counselors, and administrators while insulating them against potential backlash and abuse from other parties, including their own families.
Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Tennessee all legally require the forcible outing of transgender students.
#4
Elon Musk moves SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter) to Texas in protest of child safety law.
Pictured above from left to right: CEO of X and Space X, Elon Musk, and California Governor Gavin Newsome. Photo via: Getty Images
The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, called California’s SAFETY Act the “final straw” and ordered two of his California-based companies to relocate to Texas. X (widely known as Twitter) will relocate from San Francisco to Austin, while SpaceX will relocate from its current base in Hawthorne, California to Starbase, Texas.
While ostensibly in response to California’s law, these relocations appear linked to Musk’s broader preference for Texas’ political and legal climate. In 2021, Musk also moved his car company Tesla to Texas. Earlier this year, he transferred SpaceX’s incorporation from Delaware to Texas after a judge in Delaware invalidated his $56 billion compensation packages at Tesla.
Many commentators attributed Musk’s strong reaction to California’s law protecting trans children from their abusive families to his own strained relationship with his transgender daughter Vivia, who filed to cut ties with him in 2022.
#5
Chasing Rainbows Venture Capital: Facilitating A Historic White House Roundtable
We are thrilled to highlight Chasing Rainbows and the White House VC Roundtable, a historic first dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship ecosystem. This milestone event showcased the significant contributions of LGBTQ+ businesses and underscored the need for equitable access to capital and resources.
Chasing Rainbows has been instrumental in making the case for LGBTQ+ inclusion a business imperative, including emphasizing the benefits of elevating LGBTQ+ professionals to manage funds and lead startups.
We applaud the efforts to empower LGBTQ+ leaders, driving economic growth through inclusive practices. As the global LGBTQ+ business platform, Out Leadership remains committed to advocating for equality and supporting initiatives like Chasing Rainbows that foster a thriving environment for all LGBTQ+ professionals.