Transcripts

CHRIS ROBERTS: In a Minneapolis office tower last month, Dana Olson, mother of four children, shyly stepped before an audience of about 40 of her coworkers to make a presentation.

DANA OLSON: --their services. Whenever I got into a situation where I thought I was feeling really guilty and maybe the kids should have a dad and I shouldn't be living like this, and maybe I should end this relationship, I transfer. It's one way to get out of it. Leave town.

CHRIS ROBERTS: Olson has worked for 20 years in the operation services department of US West communications and is an admitted lesbian. She was one of four participants in a panel discussion on gay and lesbian issues in the workplace, the culmination of the second annual gay and lesbian Awareness Month at US West. The event was sponsored by EAGLE, or Employee Association of Gays and Lesbians, a 35-member group formed two years ago in the Twin Cities.

EAGLE is officially sanctioned by the company and is credited with creating a much more open and sensitive work environment. Ron Kemmett, a service representative for 12 years and EAGLE co-chair, remembers back to the days before EAGLE existed.

RON KEMMETT: There were things that I just did not talk about. Most things in my life, I just did not talk about at work. And I think that's common with gay and lesbian employees in any company. It's really a loss for both the individual and the corporation because of all that energy that is spent in hiding who you are. I think that a lot of productivity is lost. And I think that translates directly into money.

CHRIS ROBERTS: In addition to raising awareness, EAGLE representatives have regular meetings with upper level management and have strengthened the company's commitment to its equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policies. EAGLE members have also worked to improve the company's policies on AIDS in the workplace, and are currently lobbying for insurance benefits for the partners of gay and lesbian employees.

Last month, a group of EAGLE members rode in a US West van in the Minneapolis gay pride parade. And EAGLE chairman, Kevin Mack, says the list of accomplishments doesn't end there.

KEVIN MACK: Probably the most significant is we were able to get Pat Fleckney, who works with public relations here, to testify in support of the change at the St. Paul ordinance. And I think two years ago, the company would have never, ever come out in public support of something like that.

CHRIS ROBERTS: When asked why his company took the somewhat remarkable step of sending a representative to testify in favor of a gay and lesbian human rights ordinance in St. Paul, US West chief executive officer Ron James said it was only in keeping with the company's philosophy.

RON JAMES: Discrimination should not exist where people have different shots at achieving their goals. It's a strongly held belief that we have inside the business. And we're not perfect, but we've been working at trying to build on that whole theme. It made good public and business sense for us to be up front with our opinion about creating that kind of environment. And so we did make that particular statement.

CHRIS ROBERTS: James says EAGLE is one of several resource groups at US West. There is also a Black managers group, a Hispanic group, a women's group, an American-Indian group, an Asian and Pacific Islander group, and most recently, a group for handicapped employees. James says he believes that the companies that acknowledge and encourage the growing diversity within their own ranks will be better prepared to reap dividends in an increasingly global economy.

RON JAMES: Dividends not only in terms of the profits that a business may earn because it has become more sensitive. It understands how to play in that environment. But it will also be building great employees. It will really be strengthening the employee and the contribution that the employee can make, as well as the contribution that can be made to the community at large.

CHRIS ROBERTS: EAGLE members say their most important priority at US West continues to be providing education to their coworkers and their managers on gay and lesbian issues. When EAGLE was started two years ago, an informational hotline was established for company employees. The hotline immediately received 70 calls, all of them negative, including one death threat. Since then, EAGLE members say the environment has become much more supportive.

During an informal survey at the end of a US West shift in downtown Minneapolis, a few employees said they supported EAGLE, but most were unwilling to go public either way with their opinions. One man said he had a few reservations about the group, but asked that his voice be mechanically disguised to protect his identity.

SPEAKER: It's just fine until somebody hits on you. And when somebody hits on you, being a regular white blooded male, it gets very repulsive. But that does not happen in our business either, that I know of. If you know what I mean by getting hit on.

CHRIS ROBERTS: US West may soon be joined by other Twin Cities companies that allow their employees to form resource groups like EAGLE. Stephanie Gray, a lesbian who works in the advertising department of the Star Tribune newspaper, plans to hold meetings in August to determine whether there is interest in such a group at the Star Tribune. Gray says her group will look inward, as well as raise the awareness of others.

STEPHANIE GRAY: A lot of times, just educating ourselves is necessary before we go out and educate others because you're so used to living your life with those discriminations. You're so used to being a gay person or a lesbian person in a straight world that you don't even notice the subtle tease anymore. And you have to work through all of that just to discover yourself.

CHRIS ROBERTS: Employees at IDS in Minneapolis have already held an informational meeting on the formation of a gay and lesbian resource group. They say they expected about 25 people to attend. And instead, 175 people showed up for the meeting. I'm Chris Roberts, reporting.