About 50 Boulder-area LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG) representatives gathered February 12, 2025 to discuss “holding the line” against new restrictive workplace policies.
Why it matters: Changes are on the horizon that are designed to create a chilling effect on organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies directly affecting local LGBTQ+ employees and their allies. For some, the changes are already here.
These workplace policies are the result of Trump Administration Executive Orders, so-called anti-discrimination lawsuits, social media campaigns, and Executive Branch statements, and include:
Firing DEI staff, or placing staff on paid administrative leave.
Halting all federal grants and applications that include DEI-related terms, including the word “female.”
Asking federal employees to report supervisors and colleagues who participate and support DEI activities such as mentoring and membership in organizations such as Society of Women Engineers.
Highly restricting anti-trans medical care and other policies that affect children and others in our trans community.
Barring trans people from serving in the military.
Preventing trans people from designating their gender identities on passports.
Reinforcing the gender binary of “male” and “female” in all official policies (i.e., removal of trans, queer, and non-binary identity).
Removing DEI-related content from public websites.
Banning the use of gender pronouns in email signatures.
While some actions are being challenged in the legal system, these federal policies, and their effects on companies, public education, municipalities, and nonprofits, have created a culture of fear and trepidation among LGBTQ+ employees.
What can be done: According to participants at the event, LGBTQ+ ERGs should draw on our history of resistance during the Stonewall Rebellion and the AIDS Crisis, among other challenges, to face our current and future organizational DEI climate.
Attendees suggested the following, with leadership support:
Change corporate terminology so that it does not run afoul of federal policy yet continues to support a culture of inclusion and belonging, e.g., change “DEI Manager” titles to “Manager of Strategic Projects,” or use general terms in values statements such as “inclusion for all employees” instead of “diverse employees.”
Affirm organizational missions, values, and diversity statements to employees in both written text and company-wide meetings.
Confirm funding now for LGBTQ+ ERG activities, such as internal panels and Pride celebrations.
Continue to build and launch ERGs.
Support colleagues by providing stress management events.
Maintain strong employee leadership within LGBTQ+ ERGs.
As discussed in Harvard Business Review’s February 11, 2025 article “The Legal Landscape Around DEI Is Shifting. Your Messaging Should, Too,” leaders are caught in a paradox about directly addressing these policies. Talking about them too much leaves the organization exposed to legal challenges of discrimination and being out of compliance. However, keeping quiet and not making statements may erode trust among employees and customers. Attendees also discussed participating in public protests, although fears of workplace retribution and general skepticism about protests’ effectiveness were mentioned.
Concerns for future: Participants repeatedly stated that the current organizational environment for DEI is erasing the gains LGBTQ+ employees have made in the last years. Particularly moving was an attendee from a university who said that generally, LGBTQ+ employees who felt safe enough to come out at work are now left exposed and vulnerable without the protection of their workplaces or their individual closets.
Organizations with federal grants are tensely watching mandates still to come. Other events to watch, though not thoroughly discussed at the session, include new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s promise to sue private companies for their DEI strategies.
Recommendations: Local LGBTQ+ ERGs should gather again in advance of Pride celebrations in June to assess our local business/organizational atmosphere, additional policy changes, and constructive tactics to ensure LGBTQ+ employees have positive, supportive working environments. In this way, ERGs can continue to strengthen a resilient community and “hold the line” against a difficult and changing workplace climate.
This blog post represents the views and opinions of a guest author and may not be fully representative of Rocky Mountain Equality’s position.