Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Announce The 2012 Outie Award Winners

Leaders in the LGBT workplace equality movement awarded for accomplishments

BALTIMORE, Nov. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five silver 'Outie' statuettes were bestowed upon Outie Award winners this week, while attendees from around the world gathered at the 14 ^th annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees and allies, along with human resources and diversity professionals, many representing Fortune 500 companies, attended the Out & Equal Workplace Summit. The Summit is the leading LGBT professional development conference, equipping attendees with the tools, resources and connections to create equitable and inclusive workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Individuals and companies are nominated for their demonstrated leadership and diversity programs, which help build workplace cultures of inclusion and equity for LGBT people. 

The winners were chosen from a competitive slate of nominees and voted on by an independent panel of experts from companies and nonprofits that set the standard for LGBT workplace equality. The award winners represent the people and companies who are changing the face of our culture by working to end LGBT discrimination in the workplace.

The 2012 Out & Equal Outie Award winners are:

The Trailblazer Award recognizes an LGBT person who has made a significant contribution to advancing workplace equality by helping improve their own workplace or contributing to equality nationally. The Trailblazer Award was given to Lance Freedman, Lockheed Martin.

Lance Freedman rallied Lockheed Martin's LGBT employee resource group, LGBTs and Allies, to transform a traditional "don't ask, don't tell" workplace culture for 120,000 people into a fully LGBT-inclusive workplace years before the federal government dismantled the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Lance gathered and groomed an army of advocates across the corporation, coordinated their help to fund and deliver an impressive LGBT Leadership Forum and the defense industry's first ever "It Gets Better" video, which Lance himself led. Lance played central roles assisting Lockheed Martin to establish LGBT non-profit sponsorships, recruitment at LGBT career fairs, support to LGBT Veterans, five LGBT ERGs, and policy changes ranging from non-discrimination to gender transition.

The Champion Award recognizes a non-LGBT person who has played a pivotal role in advancing equal treatment of LGBT employees on the job. This individual will have demonstrated a significant commitment to LGBT workplace rights. The Champion Award was given to Harry van Dorenmalen, IBM.

Harry van Dorenmalen, Chair of IBM Europe, created a structure within IBM to drive progress on LGBT issues and started numerous initiatives leading to significant improvements both within IBM and in the broader business and LGBT communities outside IBM. 
He enabled, supported, and ensured that IBM executive management teams in all European countries have included LGBT equality and inclusion on their agendas. 
Harry regularly speaks about IBM's priorities supporting diversity and LGBT inclusion at external LGBT events and gives interviews to the media on LGBT topics. 
Harry encourages and empowers others to show leadership and to make change happen. He is a terrific advocate, an inspirational leader, and a true straight ally.

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