Creating a Sense of Belonging and Inclusion For All

lululemon’s Dr Gus Bussmann talks to myGwork about the fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion in both the international arena and in the corporate world, and his dream mission to create a sense of belonging for all.

Gus Bussmann’s fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion started in Brazil, before he came to Europe when he pursued his PhD with a focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion rights. He is now continuing his passion as the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action) Manager for EMEA at lululemon, which he started over a year ago. Working with the retail brand focused on wellbeing presented Gus with an opportunity to work for a company that was “genuinely committed to creating an impact and encompassing a culture of inclusion where diversity is celebrated, equity is the norm and action is the commitment”.

When Gus relocated to London to focus on his PhD, he explored how LGBTQ+ people should be legally recognised as a community. “I had the chance to learn more about how this community fought for inclusion, the right to be part of the society and the strength to challenge expectations that were posed on us,” he shared.

Gus believes it’s his duty to continue the fight for LGBTQ+ inclusion, started by his brave predecessors: “As I graduated in law and continued my studies in human rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion, I increasingly learnt about the many untold stories. Queer people were often erased from history and their impact minimised as a product of our heteronormative constructions.”

A key realisation resulting from that research was that “the fight for same-sex relationships and being legally accepted in the US lingered for about twenty years,” Gus explained. “In fact, it only succeeded when we legally used the rights of the Black community as a case study. For me, this epitomises that you can only succeed if you join efforts with [other] marginalised communities. When we talk about Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ+ inclusion and transphobic crimes in Europe today, I believe the only way to be really seen and included is through a joint effort. As in the work of IDEA, however, the fight continues in term of inclusion – there is still a long way to go.” 

Gus got a scholarship to carry out research on international LGBTQ+ rights. His studies led him to the Hague’s International Criminal Court, and to an additional scholarship to continue this research in the UK. “Through different scholarships, I got an opportunity to dive into different cultures, legal frameworks and spaces to learn about the intersections of my community,” he reflected.

But Gus’s journey to the UK from Brazil brought many surprises. Not only did he meet his future husband, but more shockingly, he experienced workplace discrimination for the first time. “It surprised me that, in spite of always being out and proud of my identity, London was the first time where I found myself in a workplace that did not fully accept me,” he revealed; especially considering that his work was specifically connected to LGBTQ+ rights. “I was working at a law firm in London where I was the only LGBTQ+ person around over fifty employees. I was battling with a workplace that was happy to profit from the LGBTQ+ community, yet unwilling to create an environment where we could feel that we belonged.”

You can continue reading the full article on the Attitude website here.