PRIDE MONTH/MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Pride Month Puts LGBTQ+ Rights Front and Center


AGC Member Jordan Brown Shares His Experience in Changing Construction Industry


By Carol Eaton L


ast summer, more than half a century after the 1964 Civil Rights Act was signed into law,


the U.S. Supreme Court took a key step towards ensuring civil rights for all with its ruling that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals cannot be fired because of their sexuality or gender identification. Te Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, 590 U.S. was the latest chapter in a long-fought battle to ensure legal protections and rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. In the corporate arena, companies


across the United States have also made measurable progress promoting equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ workers, as evidenced by a report released this January by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. In its 2021 Corporate Equality


Index (CEI), the HRC Foundation surveyed over 1,100 firms (including 233 Fortune 500 companies) about their corporate policies, practices and benefits for LGBTQ+ workers. A record-breaking 767 businesses – 12 percent more than the year prior – earned CEI’s top score for LGBTQ+-inclusive workplace policies. Tose results represent a sea change since HRC’s first annual survey in 2002, when just 13 companies were awarded the top score. Several architecture, engineering


and construction firms participated in the HRC survey and earned the coveted title of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.” Among them: Turner Construction Co., AECOM, Arup USA Inc. and Black & Veatch Holding Inc., to name a few.


10 May/June 2021


Changing Attitudes While slow and steady progress


is undoubtedly being made, there is still plenty of work to be done when it comes to changing long-held attitudes, dispelling stereotypes and achieving true equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ workers in the construction industry and other business sectors. LGBTQ+


rights will be in the national spotlight throughout the month of June, which is designated Pride Month in the U.S. and which is celebrated in communities across the nation with parades and other events. For the business community, it


dynamic group of industry experts to help advance the association’s commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the industry and within its membership ranks. Tese efforts have


Jordan Brown


not gone unnoticed, attracting new members who are looking for a future-focused construction association that will represent their interests. One of them is Jordan Brown, Contracts Manager for Northern California-based Odin Construction Solutions, Inc. A member of the LGBTQ+ community himself, he was intrigued by AGC’s partnership with BuildOUT and


its ongoing efforts to create a diverse construction workforce pipeline. Brown joined AGC’s Delta-Sierra


offers a prime opportunity to highlight the contributions and achievements of LGBTQ+ workers – and to take stock of how they measure up when it comes to providing support and services for their diverse workforce.


Embracing a Diverse Workforce At both the state and national level


AGC has taken the lead embracing diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, recognizing the critical importance of building a strong future workforce. Te association recently entered into a first-of-its- kind partnership with BuildOUT California, a pioneering industry association dedicated to the sustainable growth of LGBTQ+ businesses. Last year AGC of California also


launched its Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, bringing together a


District board as well as the board of the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce last year. In addition to increasing his business connections, he was interested in finding ways to support other LGBTQ+ individuals and businesses in an industry that historically has not been seen as particularly friendly or welcoming to them.


Sharing His Story “I’m going to do whatever work


I need to do to learn how to best help these diverse businesses and individuals,” Brown commented. One way he hopes to do so is by sharing his own story and experiences. “When I first got into the industry, I had some of the same insecurities that they might be feeling, so I can share how I got through it and had success.”


California Constructor


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