Leadership Forum: The Role of the LGBTQ+ Ally

Kenneth J. Fredeen General Counsel, Deloitte LLP

ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, when I was asked to be on Deloitte’s original diversity council and to be the executive sponsor for its LGBTQ network, I felt honoured. Although I have family members and friends who are gay, I soon realized that we had lots of work to do in becoming an inclusive culture for members of the LGBTQ community.

As a straight man, there are some who see what I did as a courageous act, but it never felt that way to me. There were some whispers that I was gay, but that didn’t bother me. I am still asked sometimes, ‘What is your vested interest in doing this?’, and I honestly don’t have one. It all starts from my belief that inclusiveness means a more stable and successful society and economy. The fact is, an inclusive business will be more successful in attracting and keeping the best talent — which makes for a pretty compelling business case. The great thing for me is, as a straight, white, typically-abled, middle-aged guy, the expectations for me are pretty low — so being passionate about the importance of inclusion allows