Q Center joins Chamber of Commerce diversity series
Q Center Coordinator Aiden Braun joins the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce for its 2023 Diversity Dialogues series.
Aiden Braun, Q Center coordinator, recently joined the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) to facilitate a discussion on LGBTQIA+ inclusion as part of the Chamber’s 2023 Diversity Dialogues series.
In 2021, in an effort to attract and retain a diverse workforce and promote inclusive workplaces in Broome County, the GBCC tasked the newly-created DEI Committee with the development of learning opportunities and resources to help the local business community better understand diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues and the implementation of DEI initiatives.
The committee unveiled three new programs in 2022: the Diversity Dialogues series, DEI Cohort Program and DEI Book Club. Over 60 member businesses participated in the Chamber’s DEI programming in its first year.
Building bridges with community organizations
Karen Jones, vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Binghamton University, also sits on the Chamber DEI Committee.
“In addition to our work on campus, it is critical that we also connect with the greater Binghamton community,” Jones said. “Our campus is part of that community, so we welcome working with local and regional organizations interested in gaining DEI competency.”
GBCC Talent Initiatives and Special Project Manager Morgan White was aware of the Q Center as a resource on LGBTQ+ topics, having also worked with the Division of DEI’s UDiversity Educational Institute and Multicultural Resource Center.
“While we offer an intensive leadership program for those in the business community dedicated to implementing DEI initiatives,” White said, “the dialogue series is specifically for those at a beginner-level of the DEI journey. This is a safe space to engage in an open exchange on topics including racial and health equity, ability inclusion, microaggressions and unconscious bias.”
Braun was pleased to participate in the discussion series, addressing topics including pronoun use, language and action-based strategies for creating inclusive workplaces. The hybrid-style discussion, with virtual and in-person attendees, represented a variety of area businesses and Chamber members.
“It’s incredibly important for businesses to have conversations about LGBTQ+ people, especially trans and nonbinary people,” Braun said. “By talking about the queer community openly, things like trans healthcare policies can be proactively added to business plans rather than only being considered when a trans employee asks. It’s encouraging that businesses in the area want to be a part of discussions relating to DEI, and I am hopeful that the continuation of the Diversity Dialogues series will create a shift in the inclusivity of local businesses.”
The more you know
Learn more about how you can be an effective ally to the LGBTQ+ community, programs and services offered through the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and other diversity initiatives at the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce.