Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is under assault. It was conceived to promote fair treatment and full participation of all people in business, education and government, especially LGBTQ+ people, and the historically underrepresented people.
In fact, a March analysis by the New York Times found that the number of S&P 500 companies mentioning DEI in public financial applications has dropped by almost 60% since 2024.
Even if some organizations put the brakes on DEI, others continue to embody that principle by increasing LGBTQ+ leaders whose vision emphasizes the benefits of attribution. Here, six of these leaders discuss their achievements, commitments and impact.
Susan Feniger, co-owner of World Hospitality Group
In 1978, James Beard and Julia Child Award-winning chef Susan Fenniger was one of two women in the kitchen at Le Peroke, a prestigious Chicago restaurant. The chef there treated her badly.
“At one point I realized that part of the reason he treated me that way was because I came out recently,” says Pheniger, former Food Network host and co-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group.
That experience sparked Feniger’s career was welcomed and dedicated to building an inclusive workplace. “Our kitchens and restaurants have always been like that,” she says. “Part of that is because I’m a lesbian and I’ve been there for so long. As long as I’m in my business, it sends a very clear message that I set an example and provide a safe environment.”
Feniger is also a longtime board member of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, helping in 2019 launch a culinary arts program that prepares LGBTQ+ youth and older adults with meaningful culinary careers. “The hospitality business is our country’s largest employer, so having comprehensive policies in the industry can make a big difference,” she says.
Brett Smiley, Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
Brett Smiley never expected to pursue politics. But when he helped his friend run for Chicago city council, he found his passion for it and began working on a political campaign, serving as Chief of Staff for former Rhode Island Gina Raimondo, who ultimately ran for herself. In 2022 he was elected mayor of Providence, Rhode Island.
“It’s really fulfilling and I think it’s had a positive impact on my community,” Smiley said of his career. The community includes LGBTQ+ Rhode Islanders like himself. He cites efforts to lobby for marriage equality, simplify adoption for same-sex couples, create gender-neutral bathrooms in public buildings, and provide positive markings on state driver’s licenses as a career highlight.
“I tried to respond to the needs of the community… in the way I really moved the needle,” says Smiley. “As a result, Rhode Island and Providence are consistently considered one of the most welcoming and embracing communities in the country.”
Even in the most progressive places, getting out and being proud still makes a positive difference, he says. “As mayor, I am the first to go to the local Pride Parade, and every year when my husband and I carry downtown… we meet a young person who is so excited to see the mayor of the capital holding hands with her husband’s gym.
Bonnie Thurston, WNBA player program director
In her role in the WNBA, Bonnie Thurston manages off-court issues such as marketing, education and professional development for professional basketball players. But for an LGBTQ+ player, the most important service she offers, in particular, is the simple act of being herself.
“I’m married to my incredible, beautiful wife Michelle, a professional dancer. We have two children. We are extremely proud of the LGBTQ+ community,” says Thurston. “I’ve never avoided that, and for our players who are LGBTQ+, I think it’s good to work closely with people who share their living experiences.” Thurston is the co-founder and co-chairman of NBA Pride, the first LGBTQ+ employee resource team in a professional sports league. Founded in 2015, its mission supports LGBTQ+ employees and allies across the NBA and WNBA.
“We helped to build a more welcoming culture,” said the highlight of NBA Pride is a partnership with Pride’s Heritage, an organization that plans and produces the New York City PRIDE parade that the NBA and WNBA have been involved in since 2016.
Thurston recalls meeting a man in his first parade. The first parade saw floats and continued working in professional sports. “He made him realize… he said sports are a safe space for him as a gay person,” Thurston said. “At least, that’s the message I want to convey to my fans and employees. Our sports welcome you.”
Sam Moore, Public History Director of the Missouri Historical Society
As the operator of the Missouri History Museum, the Missouri Historical Society is in the storytelling business. And Sam Moore is the best storyteller.
“Our job is to tell St. Louis stories and tell them as loud as possible,” says Moore, managing director of Public History. “That means we can share all the St. Louisan stories, including Queer St. Louisen.”
As he is from the St. Louis area and is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, his mission is personal to Moore. “Growing up in a community, going to the community history museum, you see the story of the place,” he says. “If you don’t reflect it, it affects you. It makes you feel like you don’t have a place in that community.”
That sentiment brings to Missouri’s “Gateway to Pride” exhibition, the first full-fledged exhibition celebrating St. Louis’ LGBTQ+ history.
“As a leadership gay person in one of America’s largest and oldest historic societies, I have the privilege and responsibility to share these stories and to talk to the public, donors and policymakers,” says Moore, adding that objections to LGBTQ+ stories will not erase them. “There are conversations between people and pastors, political leaders, school boards, and those are conversations that we want to stay in those spaces, but that is our lane.
Samantha Justy, Chief Customer Officer of IKEA US
Samantha Justy is not a typical retail business officer. A trade social worker, she was previously executive director of the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund (DVLF). This is a community foundation that supports the LGBTQ+ community in the Philadelphia area. When she decided to join Corporate America in 2017, she had one state. She had to work for the company that made her feel good.
Its enterprise has been revealed that Justy is the Swedish home furniture company IKEA, the chief customer officer of the global retailer’s US business. “What led social workers to IKEA was that the company was in line with my own values as a person,” says Giusti, who cites inclusion as one of those values. Her job – to increase customer satisfaction and improve customer experience – demands it. Justy says that IKEA’s vision is based on creating a better everyday life for all. “We want our businesses to reflect the diversity of all the communities we serve, so we want our businesses to reflect the diversity of the world we live in.”
This includes the LGBTQ+ community. This community is a proud member of Giusti. “I know I’m an LGBTQ+ person, so I’m going to be a more empathetic leader… I have the value of resilience and the power of faith authenticity,” she says. “When you are very effective and completely self-aware, it empowers other people to be the same. And when people feel that they can become fully themselves, they take greater business risks and make better business decisions.”
Aubrey Maslen, Vice President and Head of DE&I Communications and Strategic Partnership, L’Oreal North America
Including 38 iconic global brands such as Maybelline New York, Garnier, Lancome and Kiehl’s – French Personal Care Colossus L’Oréal is the world’s largest beauty company
“We want to create as many interpretations of beauty as there are people on the planet,” says Aubrey Maslen, who leads diversity, equity, comprehensive communication and strategic partnerships in L’Oreal North America. A powerful example of Maslen’s work is beauty marketing across a diverse world. This is a comprehensive workshop where he coded L’Oreal’s marketing talent.
“L’Oreal is the world’s largest beauty advertiser,” says Maslen. “We recognize that stories created, shaped and perpetuated through the media have the capacity to influence the way we perceive ourselves as people do, and we want to be on the right side of those perceptions. Therefore, we are expanding beauty as broadly as possible so that people who were not historically felt are considered.”
That includes LGBTQ+ people like you. “I grew up without meeting people who looked like me. I might have loved wearing makeup and liked it and proudly wanted to embrace it,” Maslen says. “L’Oreal recognizes that there are different ways people want to showcase and demonstrate their beauty. We are creating products and services that people can showcase that.”
