SWE - Spring 2008 - (Page 33) finding more allies in management and peers. of color, and GLBTs in an industry dominated so much by Anglo white men who in large part have military backgrounds,” she explained. Dr. Young chose to look at the challenge as an opportunity. “I believe most people are fair-minded,” she said. “If you build a business case for action, you can certainly get folks’ attention.” The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s sixth annual Corporate Equality Index, released on Sept. 16, 2007, showed that 195 major U.S. businesses earned the top rating of 100 percent, up from 138 the previous year, for a 41 percent increase. The index rates employers on a scale from zero to 100 percent on their treatment of LGBT employees, consumers, and investors. The 195 businesses that met all of the criteria employ more than 8.3 million workers. When the index was first released in 2002, only 13 companies, employing 690,000 workers, received the top rating. In 2005 Raytheon became the first defense and aerospace company — and the only one that year — to earn the 100 percent ranking, something of which Dr. Young is quite proud. “It has to do with being a positive, inclusive, and respectful workplace.” Dr. Young noted that resistance from management to such open policies is fading fast because companies must focus on replacing baby boomers who are and will be retiring. “It’s more important than ever for companies to be able to reach out and attract and retain new employees,” she said. “Employers must cast the biggest net they can to find those employees.” “I believe most people are fairminded. If you build a business case for action, you can certainly get folks’ attention.” Louise Young, Ph.D., Senior Software Engineer, Raytheon Louise Young, Ph.D., lost a teaching job 34 years ago for being gay. SWE SPRING 2008 33
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