March 1975
AT&T Chairman John DeButts declares AT&T’s sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy in letter to the National Gay Task Force
December 1979
Corporate EEO office sends a “strong recommendation letter” to Bell System affiliate companies reconfirming commitment to sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy
1982
May: Lesbian and Gay Awareness (LGA) group forms at Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ, with bylaws, charter, and regular meetings
October: Lesbian and Gay Awareness group applies for Bell Labs recognition
December: Lesbian and Gay Awareness group denied recognition by Bell Labs, but continues to function without company support or recognition
1983
October: LGA changes name to Lesbians and Gays in Telecommunications (LEGIT) as members are assigned to multiple post-AT&T-Divestiture companies; scope expands beyond company-specific issues in ensuing years
(?): Small electronic mailing list (allegra!gg) formed for lesbigay employees in and around Murray Hill, NJ
1986
September: LEGIT members hold first meeting with Bell Labs affirmative action managers
December: LEGIT members hold meeting with Bell Labs AA counselors, employee counselors, and medical department
1987
June: LEAGUE-Denver began organizing
November: LEAGUE-Denver ratified bylaws, becoming the first LEAGUE chapter
1988
January: allegra!gg e-mail list renamed to research!gg and expands participation
April: Anonymous article, “The Invisible Minority”, published in the CENTERpiece affirmative action newsletter at Indian Hill (IL)
June: LEAGUE-Denver met with Denver Works executives and AA/EO counselors
Two gay employees at Summit, NJ complain of discrimination, speak to Division office and AA committee; they are invited to form a group
September: LEAGUE-Summit forms as recognized EEO group at Summit NJ
Pilot of Brian McNaught workshop sponsored by Middletown, NJ Diversity Management Center
October: Article entitled “Gay at AT&T”; published in the Division Affirmative Action newsletter at Summit, NJ
1989
April: Informal network forms at Columbus Works and considers forming a chapter of LEAGUE; participants join gg e-mail list
June: First Gay Awareness Week held at Summit, NJ
Members of LEAGUE-Columbus meet for first time over lunch and view Denver’s PFLAG video
Precursor of LEAGUE-South Jersey has table at Middletown and Lincroft Diversity Days
July: LEAGUE-Columbus displays gay awareness posters on AA bulletin boards
LEAGUE-Columbus members meet with AA Advisory Committee, which agreed to sponsor McNaught workshop and authorized LEAGUE to continue meeting
LEAGUE-South Jersey adopts charter and applies for Bell Labs Club recognition; multiple “concerns” raised by BL Club Board members
October: LEAGUE-Columbus begins weekly business meetings over lunch
Columbus OH publication, “Alive!”, includes article “Gay Couples Fight for Equal Treatment”, including interview with AT&T employee
November: BL Club Board approves LEAGUE-South Jersey in split vote
December: LEAGUE-Columbus members designed the “safe place” magnet
LEAGUE-Columbus distributed desk-to-desk flyer announcing LEAGUE’s existence and their first noon hour program. Contact person received much harassment
1990
January: LEAGUE-Columbus met with upper management of Columbus Works, who issued a memo of support reiterating the company EEO policy
LEAGUE-North Jersey forms as outgrowth of LEAGUE-Summit
March: LEAGUE member serves as panelist on Life Cycle Panel of prestigious Conference Board conference on Work and Family Policies in NYC
LEAGUE publicizes the 15th anniversary of the company policy on sexual orientation via the AT&T newsgroups on the Netnews electronic bulletin board
FOCUS Magazine prints 6-page article on company and employee initiatives related to AIDS
April: Six members of LEAGUE North Jersey meet with Anne Fritz, Manager of Corporate AA/EEO programs, for the first time and receive her support for LEAGUE
FOCUS Magazine makes first reference to LEAGUE, in editorial response to letter from a lesbian employee (“name withheld by request”)
June: Gay Awareness Week held at multiple Bell Labs locations
Affirmatively Speaking, quarterly newsletter of Middletown NJ Diversity Management Center, includes lengthy article on lesbigay employees
LEAGUE-Northern Illinois granted Bell Labs Club status
July: Panel discussion from Conference Board Conference printed in their magazine mailed to human resources managers throughout America
Bell Labs News prints full page article on LEAGUE and lesbigay employee issues
LEAGUE member presents invited talk at the AT&T Human Resources Director’s Council, at the invitation of Anne Fritz
August: LEAGUE-Northern Illinois granted EO group status and attained a seat on the Indian Hill AA Advisory Council
Chicago subchapter of LEAGUE-Northern Illinois established
research!gg mail list replaced by multiple league!X mailing lists as participation continues to grow rapidly
Sandra Rovira, lesbian partner of a deceased AT&T employee, sues AT&T for a benefit available to legal spouses of deceased employees
September: AT&T Central Florida Employee News publishes article announcing the formation of LEAGUE-Central Florida
Articles about gay employee groups, including LEAGUE, appear in Computing (Australia) and Computer Weekly (England)
October: safe place magnets distributed to all management at all Bell Labs Indian Hill locations
LEAGUE sends invited speakers to 2 meetings of the NPSO management team convened in Atlanta from around the country
November: LEAGUE sends invited speaker to Orlando EO/AA conference of AT&T Technologies diversity counselors from around the country
1991
January: IH and NSC EO published policy adds sexual orientation and marital status at request of LEAGUE-Northern Illinois
LEAGUE produces the “LEAGUE Family Album”, a collection of short autobiographical sketches of members, primarily those in long-term committed relationships, to help overcome society’s stereotypes
LEAGUE members meet with corporate benefits managers to discuss domestic partnership benefits issues
February: “Gay Pride Week” included in 1991 diversity calendar published in FOCUS Magazine
Article on LEAGUE-Metro DC appears in the Washington Blade
LEAGUE-NSC established as an ATTAC Club (AT&T Activities)
April: article titled “Gay Rights, Issue of the 90’s” appears in the NY Times and discusses LEAGUE
LEAGUE participates in ATTAC days at NSC
June: Lesbian and Gay Awareness week at dozens of BL & corporate locations
Lesbian & Gay Awareness Week calendar pulled from Bell Labs News at last minute due to external anti-gay pressure campaign
Article titled “Out of the Closet” appears in “PJ — Personnel Journal” and discusses LEAGUE and Gay Awareness Week
August: LEAGUE-Massachusetts holds first meeting
September: LEAGUE member participates as panelist at first national Invisible Diversity Conference in NYC; a dozen AT&T employees and diversity managers attend the conference
First display by a lesbian/gay bookstore in the cafeteria of the Network Software Center in Lisle, IL
October: LEAGUE-Columbus hands out lots of safe place magnets and cookies at the AA Fair
November: Bell Labs News includes LEAGUE and anti-gay harassment in multipage article on Diversity
Number of subscribers to league!X email lists exceeds 300 mark
LEAGUE-Atlanta holds first meeting
December: LEAGUE members meet with Hal Burlingame and Anne Fritz to discuss the management relocation plan as it applies to non-traditional families
AP Wire Service article on the gay market mentions LEAGUE
Cover article in Fortune Magazine mentions “gay-employee group” at AT&T and talks about McNaught Homophobia Workshop at AT&T
LEAGUE-Northern Illinois participates as one of 8 groups at first Diversity Day at Indian Hill
LEAGUE-Dallas forms, becoming the 15th national LEAGUE chapter
1992
February: First AT&T-wide LEAGUE conference in Orlando, FL
Orlando Sentinel has article covering the LEAGUE conference
March: Column in Time Magazine references “gay employee organizations at ‘companies ranging from AT&T to Xerox’”;
LEAGUE-Upper MidWest holds first meeting
1996
January: LEAGUE splits into three groups
April: LEAGUE at LUCENT becomes EQUAL! at Lucent Technologies
May: Last joint LEAGUE conference in Chicago, IL
1997
Lucent becomes the first company in the world to add the “gender identity, characteristics, and expression” to its non-discrimination policy
At the Out & Equal Workplace Summit that year, Mary Ann Horton highlights this change so other companies can adopt this new language and policies for transgender protections.
2000
Mary Ann Horton shows the math behind the incremental cost of covering SRS: 18 cents/year/person additional cost. (In 2008, that figure is revised to 24 cents.)
Lucent adds transgender-inclusive coverage to its healthcare benefits; the first reimbursement check is cut to an employee in October.
2001
October: Mary Ann Horton is awarded the “Trailblazer” award by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates for her work at Lucent and Avaya.
2006
December: EQUAL! becomes part of Alcatel-Lucent, following the merger of Lucent Technologies with Alcatel
2016
January: EQUAL! becomes part of Nokia, following the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent by Nokia.
2019
June: With the support of Nokia’s corporate teams, EQUAL! launches the OUT Leaders initiative — to enable the next generation of out LGBT+ leaders at Nokia.
2020
October: Expanding on the OUT Leaders initiative, EQUAL! launches Nokia’s first-ever LGBT+ talent development program, with an initial cohort of 14 participants from around the globe and across Nokia’s business groups.
2022
February: The OUT Leaders talent development program continues for a second year, with participation from LGBT+ leaders in Nokia’s ecosystem (partners & suppliers).
Thanks to Steve Mershon, Ryk Koscielski and Mary Ann Horton for contributing to this history page of EQUAL!.
