Pride Month, Allyship and Workplace Inclusion: An Interview with Jeb Horton

Pride Month is in full swing, a time for celebrating the diverse LGBTQ+ community around the world. It is also a time to remember the fight for equality that has come before us - from the Stonewall uprising to marriage equality - the LGBTQ+ movement that has been forefronted by pioneers fighting for a better world for everyone. Lastly, it is vital we also use this as a chance to highlight the fight that continues, the trans community - who were instrumental in the progress we have made so far - needs visible support and allyship more than ever. Until we create a world where every single person can live freely and safely as they are, we will need Pride, and we will need to speak up for LGBTQ+ rights every other month of the year too.

As part of our conversation on LGBTQ rights this Pride Month, myGwork spoke to Jeb Horton, Senior Vice President of Global Services at Hitachi Vantara, on his allyship, why Pride is important and the role of employee resource groups in creating workplace equality.

Hi Jeb - thanks for chatting to us. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Jeb Horton, I’m the Senior Vice President of Global Services at Hitachi Vantara (HV). I joined HV three years ago after 13 years at DXC and its legacy companies. Prior to that, I was a consultant at Deloitte and Arthur Andersen. In my career, I’ve gone from performing a wide range of consulting engagements (process improvement, analytics, system selections, ERP) to managing a business unit. Over the years, I’ve been particularly proud of what I’ve accomplished in helping people build their careers.

Jeb Horton, Senior Vice President of Global Services at Hitachi Vantara

What does Pride mean to you?

As an ally with friends and family that continue to be challenged to live their life openly, I see Pride as an opportunity to fully express who you are in a community that also honors activism for LGBTQ+ rights over more than fifty years.

Why do you think Pride is important?

I think it’s important to celebrate what has been accomplished to date and to signal that there is a great deal more to do. I think this is even more important today in the United States as we seem to be in a much more fraught political environment this year.

Do you think Pride is still a protest?

Yes. That said, I think there are two sides to this. One is a celebration of achievement. But there is also an ongoing need for demonstration of what more needs to be done. Pride is an opportunity to raise awareness of both.

What do you hope is accomplished by this time next year?

I’d like to see a lot more than 322 companies sign the Human Rights Campaign Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation and help to push back against LGBTQ+ legislation. I don’t have specific goals, but I do hope that this sparks a discussion about values in the workplace. I know that the decisions a few companies have made recently have helped to raise awareness. This has been encouraging.

Do you think it’s important for organizations to celebrate Pride? 

Yes, I do. We aren’t done yet, so to speak.

I grew up in a white middle-class neighborhood. We had a gay couple on the block that we never acknowledged as a couple. I remember people in college not really being able to live openly. I remember jobs where it was a struggle for people to live openly. We’ve made a lot of progress in that time. However, today, it seems that we’re seeing a pushback against that progress. So, yes, it’s important to celebrate what this means and particularly for a workplace that prides itself on an inclusive environment.

How can we keep the momentum for LGBTQ+ equality going all year long?

Employee Resource Groups, together with the company leadership team, need to maintain an open and continuous dialogue on what’s working and what is not. I think the work that our ERG has accomplished over the past year has been outstanding, and it’s a product of a core group of highly dedicated people together with an exceptional leader. The team has continuously raised awareness of LGBTQ+ issues inside the organization. I know that it has been a significant learning opportunity for myself and there are certainly times that I’m surprised by some of the complexities faced by HR, Benefits, IT, and leadership. Nevertheless, I’m quite impressed with how the team and our HV leadership have continuously sought to improve.

What can organizations do to support LGBTQ+ people outside of Pride month?

As I have mentioned, it’s a continuous process. I think that the ERGs in organizations can maintain a constant dialogue on the issues and are working closely with leadership to address these over the course of the year. Before long, we will be talking about benefits again. We need to plan for that. We are finishing our year-end process – we need to make sure that we are looking after everyone and doing all that we can to advance careers. As a global organization, we need to keep advancing the movement for a world without prejudice.

What are you hoping will be achieved for LGBTQ+ equality next?

I am pleased to see HV sign the Human Rights Campaign Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation. I am hopeful this statement sets the tone that legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community is inconsistent not only with what we experience in the business world but also in our community at large. I’m hopeful we see a continued push in this direction and that the 322 companies that have signed this statement are joined by a great deal more.