Concern for the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an ongoing tragedy endangering millions, especially minoritized communities. Today, we want to bring attention to fears among LGBTQ+ people in particular. Russia reportedly has “kill lists,” including members of the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community among many others. This has contributed to grave fear of worsening repression of queer life under Russian occupation.

Russia, along with other nationalist governments such as those in Hungary and Poland, has pushed a type of extremist Christian nationalist governing style which promotes “traditional values” in opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. For example, “gay propaganda” is illegal in Russia, effectively outlawing much public discussion of LGBTQ+ issues and status. Last October, President Putin of Russia compared “gender fluidity” to a “crime against humanity”.

The political movements fueling these governments position themselves as defenders of the traditional Christian values, the family, and in opposition to growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, which is seen as a sign of weakness and degeneracy.

We oppose military aggression and call for peace and respect for human rights everywhere.

Links for more info:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ukraines-gay-combat-volunteers-are-ready-to-fight-for-their-lives-against-anti-lgbtq-vladimir-putin?ref=scroll

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-lgbtq-fear-human-rights-abuses-if-russia-invades/

https://katelynburns.medium.com/no-the-war-in-ukraine-wasnt-because-of-pronouns-c3e3e8f938a3

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/2/4/the-war-on-gender-an-unholy-east-west-crusade

https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/12/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/23/putin-gender-russia-news-conference/

PRISM welcomes new board members!

PRISM is delighted to welcome new members to the board! Lola Neal, Tomasz Ahrends, Adriane Otopalik, Hubert Mysliwiec, Adriana Mejia, Jess Posada, Andrew Wong, and Joe Levin join the existing board to bring new ideas, expertise, and energy to the LGBTQ+ community at Rockefeller. They represent many different backgrounds and roles at the University, making this the most diverse board we have ever had.

Rockefeller LGBTQ history

Happy Pride month from the PRISM board!

To celebrate we are highlighting the work of an LGBTQ+ scientist from the history of Rockefeller University. Dr. Louise Pearce (1885-1959) was the first woman appointed to a research position at the university. She received degrees from Stanford University and Johns Hopkins Medical school, where she graduated third in her class. In 1913 she was appointed to a research position at Rockefeller University, then known as the Rockefeller Institute. Her research focused on using arsenic containing compounds to treat sleeping sickness. In 1920 she traveled to the Congo to run clinical trials of the compound tryparsamide, which subsequently became the standard of care. For this work she received in 1921 the Order of the Crown of Belgium and in 1953 the Royal Order of the Lion.

Pearce was a member of Heterodoxy, a feminist lunch society that contained many bisexual and lesbian members. She lived with the physician Sara Josephine Baker and Ida A. R. Wylie, an author, who were also members of Heterodoxy. Pierce and Wylie are buried together at the farm in New Jersey on which they lived during retirement.

2020 Out in Science Panel

The 2020 Out in Science panel took place on October 7 via webinar. PRISM featured five role models for aspiring scientists representing academic and industry positions. The panelists talked about their experiences in science, coming out in the workplace, advice to current students, and answered audience questions. Hopefully next year we will once again feature an in-person panel and reception!

2019 Out in Science Panel

            PRISM hosted its fourth annual Out in Science Panel on July 17, 2019. The panel was comprised of four established scientists from around the country who discussed their experiences navigating scientific careers while being members of the LGBTQ+ community. Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, and faculty attended to hear advice from coming out to colleagues to creating an inclusive environment in their labs. 

The panel included three scientists from the New York area and one from California. Joni Wallis is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Panelists Kelly Ruggles, and Ludovic Desvignes are both Assistant Professors in the department of Medicine at New York University Medical School. Jose Peña is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The panel was moderated by Devon Collins, Assistant Professor of Bard High School Early College, and a recent graduate of Rockefeller University. 

Panelists Joni Wallis, Jose Peña, and moderator Devon Collins

Panelists Ludovic Desvignes, Kelly Ruggles, and Joni Wallis

Roadmap for LGBTQ+ Inclusiveness

In the academic community there has been discussion about ways to increase the support of people from underrepresented backgrounds. It is not always clear—sometimes even to members of those backgrounds—how to increase inclusion. Fortunately, many of the ideas and solutions to accomplish this apply across disciplines and academic departments, so we are sharing an article on this topic written by three statisticians and data scientists. While the article focuses on inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, the principles may also apply to underrepresented ethnic and racial minorities and women.

2019 WorldPride: Stonewall 50th

This year the New York City Pride was chosen to be the host of WorldPride, an international organization dedicated to raising public awareness for LGBTQ+ issues through Pride Events. In part, New York City Pride was chosen because this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that occurred in our very own Greenwich Village. To participate in this momentous Pride year, the PRISM Board organized a multi-institutional group to march in New York City Pride on June 30th 2019 under the banner of the national organization Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM). We hosted approximately 50 LGBTQ+ and allied scientists from several institutions—academic, industrial, nonprofit, educational—who marched in Manhattan south on 5th Avenue through Greenwich Village and then north on 7th Avenue. We were joined by hundreds of other LGBTQ+ organizations, major corporations, politicians, and media figures. Our contingent was one of very few STEM-related groups in the march.

We marched to bring awareness to issues that the LGBTQ+ community continue to face and to openly enjoy a celebration of our many identities. This year was particularly important because it served as a reminder that the first Pride was in fact a riot. A riot in response to the overt homophobic and transphobic laws that allowed the NYPD to raid the Stonewall Inn, at the time, and remains still today, a well-known sanctuary for LGBTQ+ folks. Many believe that the riot was started by Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two transgender women of color, when they allegedly threw the “first brick”.  Both Marsha and Sylvia are held in high regard as the act of throwing the brick and the subsequent riots are widely known as the birth of the modern-day civil rights movement for LGBTQ+ people.

Marching under the oSTEM banner allowed us to protest the continued lack of equal treatment of LGBTQ+ scientists. Although studies have demonstrated that LGBTQ+ individuals leave STEM majors at a greater rate and that LGBTQ+ scientists report discrimination in the workplace, they are not recognized as an underrepresented group by any major funding agency—a designation that could mitigate some of these disadvantages. Transgender scientists in particular face especially high levels of discrimination and encounter major institutional bureaucratic hurdles while transitioning and even years later.

Our march comprised of people from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, many countries of origin, and a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities. The diversity of this group underscores the diversity we envision for the future of the scientific workforce. We hope that by marching we have inspired others to live authentic, open lives as scientists and to realize they are not alone. We also hoped to raise awareness to the march’s spectators that LGBTQ+ people are an important part of the scientific workforce.

PRISM’s Healthcare Initiative: Stigma Free STI screening, nPEP and PrEP Coverage Available at Occupational Health

PRISM, in conjunction with Occupational Health Services, HR, and the benefits department, would like to break down the barriers to access of quality health care for the LGBTQ+ community. Access to medications like the HIV preventatives PEP and PrEP is often limited by the lack of education amongst healthcare providers for the unique medical needs of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the continuous stigma our community faces especially in the healthcare field. In efforts to combat these issues Occupational Health Services offers stigma free assessment for PEP and PrEP Coverage! HIV affects many communities, and stigma free assessment for PEP and PrEP is available to anyone who wishes to be evaluated by OHS, not just those who are LGBTQ+. OHS also offers STI screening for anyone who wishes to be screened.

nPEP Coverage
nPEP, Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a 28-day multi-medication regimen that prevents the spread of HIV after a person has had a potential exposure. Monday-Friday between the hours of 9am-5pm OHS is able to evaluate a person’s potential exposure, risk level, initiate appropriate testing, and prescribe a course of nPEP when indicated. The medications for nPEP—Tenofovir & Emtricitabine (Truvada) and Raltegravir (Isentress)—are kept in stock, and OHS can dispense a 72-96 hour supply for immediate care, as well as write a prescription for the remaining 28 day course. Patients will also be referred to specialized health care providers for follow-ups.

While PEP is effective when started within the first 72 hours post exposure, it is significantly more effective in preventing HIV if started within the first 24 hours. Since Occupational Health is open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, those in need of evaluation for nPEP outside those hours are strongly encouraged to go to an Emergency Room location for 24/7 evaluation. It is not recommended to wait until the next day that OHS is open.

nPEP is also available from the CityMD Urgent Care Upper East location (67th& 3rd) on the weekends between 8am-6pm and weekdays 8am-8pm. See links below for further information about nPEP, including other clinics where it is available, and a hotline to call if you think you have been exposed.

PrEP Coverage
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a daily medication the greatly reduces the risk of contracting HIV; PrEP is different from PEP in that it’s taken pre-exposure by patients that could potentially be exposed to HIV and would like to take a medication that is highly effective at preventing contraction of the virus. OHS can assess, test, and prescribe PrEP (Truvada) as necessary. The prescription will be sent to the patient’s preferred pharmacy, and OHS will connect patients to appropriate follow-up care.

STI Screening and Treatment/Referral
Comprehensive screening, treatment, and referral (if needed) for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is available at OHS during office hours. We encourage you to make an appointment in order to lessen your wait time. Same day appointments are usually available. If your need is urgent, OHS staff will work with you to ensure you receive timely care.

More Information:
-24/7 NYC PEP Hotline at (844) 3-PEPNYC (844-373-7692)
-NYC Locations for PEP Evaluation
-User’s Guide to PEP
-User’s Guide to PrEP

Video recordings of our past “Out in Science” panels

We now have recordings of two of our past “Out in Science” panel discussions where we welcomed LGBTQ+ people in STEM careers to discuss their professional and personal experiences. For privacy reasons, the 2018 video is accessible only by password, which we are distributing upon email request to prism@rockefeller.edu. The 2017 video is available without password.

2017 Video – no password required

2018 Video – please request the password by emailing prism@rockefeller.edu

The Importance of Gender-Neutral Spaces

by Tom Wiley

We are thrilled to announce that The Rockefeller University has opened its first gender-neutral restroom, just outside of the Faculty Club! It may not occur to the well-meaning cisgender person that the women’s or men’s room sign can actually serve as a barrier to entry for transgender, non-binary, and gender-non-conforming (TGNCNB) people.

Have you ever needed to pee and done six or seven passes by the gendered bathroom door and were dying to go in but were too afraid that you may get verbally harassed—or worse?  Instead, you think, “that’s okay—I can hold it for the next seven hours until I get home from work.” For many TGNCNB people, this scenario is routine life.

In 2013 The Williams Institute, part of UCLA’s School of Law, did a survey of TGNCNB people in Washington, DC, about harassment in public restrooms. “Overall, 65 respondents (70 percent) reported experiencing one or more of these problems. Eighteen percent of respondents have been denied access to a gender-segregated public restroom, while 68 percent have experienced some sort of verbal harassment and 9 percent have experienced some form of physical assault when accessing or using gender-segregated public restrooms.”

This survey was done before passage of North Carolina’s HB2 bill that specifically targeted TGNCNB people, preventing them from using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. This bill was passed on March 23, 2016, and repealed March 30, 2017. For many, especially cisgender folks, North Carolina put the struggle for transgender rights in national the forefront, as the bathroom bill garnered significant media attention. Now, speaking from personal experience and having been verbally harassed and barred access to bathrooms (though never at Rockefeller!), I would not be surprised if a new survey would show that the percentage of TGNCNB people who have been harassed using bathrooms would be significantly higher since the advent of the HB2 law. Even though the law was repealed, lasting damage is there.

For those of us who are fortunate enough to live in New York City, an anti-discrimination law was passed in the early 2000s that bars employers from disallowing TGNCNB people from using facilities that match their gender identity. This year, the GENDA law was passed and extended that protection to all TGNCNB people in New York State. Despite protections, harassment often goes undeclared.

In our current political climate, we need action. The Rockefeller University has exhibited true support the TGNCNB population by creating a necessary gender-neutral bathroom facility, which benefits the TGNCNB population at Rockefeller as well as transgender visitors, including the many speakers and guests PRISM has hosted at our events. This action sets a standard for universities and other employers.

For further reading on this subject, please check out these links:

• https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/what-its-like-to-use-a-public-bathroom-while-trans-65793/

• https://www1.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/legal-guidances-gender-identity-expression.page

• https://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/12687

• https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/

• http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Herman-Gendered-Restrooms-and-Minority-Stress-June-2013.pdf

Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey

Rockefeller University issued a climate survey in November 2018 to gather data to combat sexual misconduct better. The PRISM board met with Rockefeller officials to ensure that that LGBTQ+ demographics were recorded. Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ people experience higher rates of sexual misconduct, suggesting that special attention may be needed to protect this class. Language was added to the survey that allowed people to identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, or as other sexual and gender minorities.  

Aaron Mertz honored with oSTEM Global STEM Service Award

At oSTEM’s 8th Annual Conference in Houston, Texas, PRISM co-founder Aaron Mertz was awarded the oSTEM Global STEM Service Award for his advocacy work for LGBTQ+ scientists.

This award is presented to an active member, alumnus/a, chapter mentor, or organization leader of oSTEM who has demonstrated a strong dedication to oSTEM, LGBTQ people in STEM, and STEM education. They are an outstanding role model for the future of our community. They are accomplished in their academic or professional lives and they regularly advocate for the full inclusion of people of all marginalized identities. They are committed to and continually strive to understand the most effective methods for reaching equality for all people.

You can view his acceptance speech here. Congratulations, Aaron!

Fall Social – November 2018

We hosted a social in November for new members of the Rockefeller University community to meet existing PRISM members, and the board discussed plans for the coming year. More than 50 people attended. Our next social will be held in April, with an invitation to follow.

NIH behind on LGBTQ data

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an interest in promoting diversity among researchers it funds to increase the quality of scientific research and mitigate disadvantages and discrimination toward underrepresented groups. According to the “Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity,” these groups include underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people from low income backgrounds, people from educationally disadvantaged rural and urban communities, and women “at senior faculty levels in most biomedical-relevant disciplines.”

Although consideration of diversity by the NIH is critically important and should be extended to additional funding initiatives, we question the NIH’s exclusion of LGBTQ identified individuals in their “interest in diversity.” Numerous studies demonstrate discrimination toward LGBTQ individuals in scientific contexts, and several demonstrate underrepresentation:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5851677/

This study finds that college students identifying as LGBTQ were 7% less likely than control students to remain in STEM majors after 4 years (n=4162).

http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/6/1/12

This study of six STEM related federal agencies (including the NSF) finds that LGBTQ-identified workers report across-the-board lower levels of workplace satisfaction and perceived treatment (n=37,219).

http://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,761a7b37493b2d86,6fe4cda94f55abdf.html

This study of LGBT faculty members across disciplines (n=279) found that many experienced exclusionary behavior and harassment, and a majority of LGBT STEM faculty surveyed considered leaving their institution as a result.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26241115

This survey of LGBTQ workers in STEM found that many work in environments they see as hostile to their identity, and most could not recall a single openly LGBTQ faculty member during their training (n=1427).

https://www.aps.org/programs/lgbt/

This report summarizes a few surveys of the climate for LGBTQ physicists. It finds that their experiences are highly variable across different locations, and that transgender or gender-nonconforming physicists experienced higher levels of isolation and harassment.

The NIH interest in diversity cites studies of similar scope and findings for underrepresentation of other minority groups, although these studies are more abundant. We wrote to the NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce to ask why they do not recognize that LGBTQ individuals are underrepresented in scientific disciplines. Here is their response:

Individuals who are from sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups have not been identified as underrepresented populations by the NSF.  The revised Notice of Interest in Diversity does not address SGM groups. It is certainly an issue of which NIH is mindful.

I agree wholeheartedly about the need to collect sexual orientation data for NIH researchers because without those data it is impossible to highlight LGBTQ as an underrepresented group. Our office has begun discussions with the Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office at NIH . As you may be aware, NIH does not currently have the authority to collect sexual orientation and gender identity questions for applicants at this time.  OMB has convened the Federal Interagency Working Group on Measuring Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) to begin addressing concerns regarding the availability of data for sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations and the methodological issues in collecting such data.  The All of Us program is asking about sexual orientation but that is of study participants. The EPA and NIH have some pilot programs inquiring about employee sexual orientation to get at some of the SGM populations within federal workforce issue. As far as I’m aware, federal standards have not been developed regarding the collection of data regarding SGM populations.   I am hoping there is movement on this soon.

The working group cited (SOGI) completed their work in 2016, suggesting there is still no movement on even starting to collect the data that the NIH deems necessary to determine whether the LGBTQ community (or subsets within the community) are underrepresented in the NIH workforce. We feel that the NIH should not ignore peer-reviewed publications documenting discrimination against LGBTQ workers in the meantime.

The interest in diversity statement is also lacking in its treatment of intersectional minority groups, i.e. those who fall into two or more underrepresented groups. The statement mentions that women who have another minority status face additional challenges, but ignores other types of intersectionality. We feel the NIH is well behind current areas of diversity research and should work quickly to improve data collection and implementation of initiatives.

Out in Science Panel

PRISM’s third annual Out in Science panel discussion brought together six accomplished scientists from the LGBTQ+ community with junior scientists from the New York area. The panelists discussed their career experiences, offering perspective and advice on how to build a successful career and make science a better place for LGBTQ+ people.

The panel was comprised of scientists in academic positions, industry, and affiliated with national labs. The panelists also represented several ethnicities and different countries of origin, and identified as trans, gay, and lesbian. This gave an unusually diverse and informative array of perspectives and demonstrated that there were multiple ways to be successful in science and multiple ways to approach one’s LGBTQ+ identity.

Several panelists explained that ethnicity or gender is always the first part of their identity that people are aware of, and as such, they spend more of their time navigating the biases that others hold about these aspects of their identity than about their LGBTQ+ identity. This was observation was referenced by the people of color on the panel, Manu Platt, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Ann Kwong, PhD, Founder and CEO of Trek Therapeutics, and Zhirong Bao, Professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. For some panelists, the topic of sexual orientation rarely comes up in their professional lives, whereas other panelists spent a significant amount of time evaluating whether it was ok to come out to colleagues. This illustrates the additional cognitive tax that minorities must pay to evaluate how to navigate everyday situations, and how this differs between people.

Dr. Platt responding to a question

Two trans panelists told of the significant discrimination toward this group, but also gave advice on how to improve the work environment. Both Karissa Sanbonmatsu, PhD, a Principal Investigator at Los Alamos National labs and Elena Long, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of New Hampshire have led initiatives to train their colleagues about how to support LGBTQ+ scientists and especially avoid worst-case scenarios that could cause mental harm to these people. Professor Long has coauthored a guide for university departments (that can be found at https://lgbtphysicists.org) with specific recommendations for departments, hiring committees, classroom teachers, mentors, and administrators.

The panelists described the climate for trans people as similar to the experience of gay and lesbian people in 80s when outright hostility and discrimination was common. Even within academic environments, which are often thought of as progressive, the majority of people remain uneducated and often unwelcoming to trans people. Institutional hurdles to transitioning and unprepared advisors and administrators can levy unnecessary difficulties. The panelists advised young trans scientists to reach out to others for advice and assured them that there were people who had dealt with similar challenges.

Some questions asked by the audience or moderator William Cafferty, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Yale University elicited very different responses from the panelists. One such question was about when to come out in the workplace. Dr. Kwong advised bringing it up after a job offer has been made, a time when the scientist has the greatest power during the interview process. Other panelists described including LGBTQ+ activities on their resume or CV, ensuring that the hiring committee is aware throughout the entire process. Two panelists said they do not bring it up in a professional context, but only with colleagues they are close two. Another controversial topic was the idea of whether LGBTQ+ people should feel an obligation to be out and active in promoting LGBTQ+ scientists. Some panelists felt an obligation to do so while others emphasized that it is a personal decision and no one should feel obligated. The panelists’ responses underscore the idea that coming out is a personal decision that everyone makes for themselves.

Dr. Kwong explaining her approach to job interviews

Audience members expressed gratitude to the panelists for their thoughtful responses to questions and openness to be role models for the next generation of scientists. Many of the panelists did not have LGBTQ+ scientist role models as they were starting their career. The PRISM board thanks the panelists, moderator, and audience members for an excellent panel discussion. Watch for information next summer about the 4th annual Out In Science panel at Rockefeller University.

To watch a video recording of the panel, please request the password by emailing prism@rockefeller.edu.

Today is LGBTSTEM Day

The charitable trust “Pride in STEM” declared today, July 5, LGBTSTEM Day. You can read more about the day here, as well as a poignant comment that appeared this week in Nature about LGBTQ+ scientists.

NYC Pride March!

The PRISM Board organized a multi-institutional group to march in New York City Pride on June 24 under the banner of the national organization Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM). We hosted approximately 60 LGBTQ+ and allied scientists from 17 institutions—academic, industrial, nonprofit, educational—who marched in Manhattan south on 7th Avenue through Greenwich Village and then north on 5th Avenue, join ~450 other LGBTQ+ organizations, major corporations, politicians, and media figures. Our contingent was one of a very few STEM-related groups in the march.

We marched to celebrate the openness we enjoy that was won by older generations, but also to protest the continued lack of equal treatment of LGBTQ+ scientists. Although studies have demonstrated that LGBTQ+ individuals leave STEM majors at a greater rate, and that LGBTQ+ scientists report discrimination in the workplace, they are not recognized as an underrepresented group by any major funding agency—a designation that could mitigate some of these disadvantages. Transgender scientists in particular face especially high levels of discrimination and encounter major institutional bureaucratic hurdles while transitioning and even years later.

Our group was comprised of people from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, many countries of origin, and a broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, underscoring the diversity we envision for the future of the scientific workforce. We hope that, by marching, we have inspired others to live authentic, open lives as scientists and to realize they are not alone. We also hoped to raise awareness to the march’s spectators that LGBTQ+ people are an important part of the scientific workforce. Throughout the march, we heard onlookers exclaim, “Wow, scientists!” underscoring how infrequently the public seems to interact with STEM professionals.

Financial services firm AllianceBernstein’s “Is is really getting better?” Pride event

Employees of the financial services firm AllianceBernstein invited the PRISM Board to its Pride event entitled “Is is really getting better?” on June 21 in Midtown Manhattan.

Anthony Thompson, a Principal at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, opened the event with very moving remarks, explaining that, in the past 20 years, there have been many positive changes for the LGBTQ+ community in the United States, including new developments in HIV and Hepatitis C treatment and prevention, as well as equal rights and marriage legalization for same-sex couples. Mr. Thompson then discussed how, despite these advances, some members of the LGBTQ+ community are still particularly vulnerable, especially transgender people of color, dozens of whom were murdered in recent years. Even though things really are getting better for some segments of the LGBTQ+ community, there are still many arenas where LGBTQ+ people need legal protections and societal respect and acceptance. After this sobering beginning to the presentation, the host mentioned four notable quotations from country music icon Dolly Parton, a resident of Nashville, Tennessee, where AllianceBernstein will open a new office in the coming years:

• "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap."
• "I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde."
• "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
• "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

Then, the company debuted its latest video about being openly LGBTQ+ at the firm, as an update to the video they produced five years ago. Next, four LGBTQ+ AllianceBernstein employees shared, in a panel discussion, their experiences coming out to their families and at work in the financial sector, which has a reputation for being conservative relative to other industries. The event concluded with a reception with sweeping views of Central Park from AllianceBernstein’s 41st-story office space.

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