I was honored to be part of the MFHA (Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance) program on LGBT Cultural Intelligence in the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry, at Johnson & Wales in Miami last week.

Gerry Fernandez the Executive Director of MFHA, was the driving force behind the program. When he spoke about his journey to become an LGBT ally, many people were moved to tears.

Lou Kaucic, former Chief People Officer of Applebees was the facilitator par excellence. He shared what it was like to be a senior executive, and hide his long term relationship with his partner. He told attendees what it meant for him to come out and be supported by his colleagues.

What people need to know about LGBT people in the foodservice and hospitality industry is….. there are a lot, and if leaders don’t know how to engage with them, or leverage their skills and talents, or practice homophobic behavior, and exclude them, businesses will suffer.

The mix of LGBT and heterosexual attendees made the program even more successful. It was a day when people listened to each other. After I had people pair up and tell each other in detail about their weekend without using any words that connoted gender, many “straight” people said that the exercise gave them a better understanding of how having to hide a large part of their lives at work negatively impacted their ability to be successful, and help the team and organization be successful.

I’ve been a diversity and inclusion/cultural change consultant for over twenty years, and this was one of the most powerful programs I’ve been part of.

Stay tuned for follow-up programs.