The technology industry is undergoing a significant shift toward LGBTQIA+ equality to create belonging in the workplace, yet there’s still work to be done.
For Tonya Allen, a senior staff program manager at tech company ServiceNow, raising a transgender son opened her eyes to the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQIA+ community and made her a fierce advocate for their rights.
“[Being an ally has] become something that’s really important to my job as a mom,” she shares.
The journey has been a bit different for Tonya’s colleague, Marco Osuna, service offerings senior manager and co-chair of ServiceNow’s Pride employee belonging group. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community himself, he tells us, “Since a few years ago, I’ve been more unapologetically me at work and striving to be a voice for change and good.”
We sat down with Tonya and Marco to explore the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals inside and outside the workplace, and discuss strategies to overcome barriers. Here are our biggest takeaways.
Allyship is speaking up for those without a voice
“Whether you’re a new ally, a super ally, or act as an accomplice through allyship, there’s an opportunity to support one another,” says Marco. “There’s a way for us to continue to advocate on behalf of others, especially through speaking up when rhetoric is stated or heard while one of us is not in the room.”
Marco (right) and other ServiceNow employees at the San Diego Pride Parade, 2023
Tonya illustrates this by explaining how she advocates for her transgender son from behind the scenes.
“That included breaking barriers within my immediate family, educating myself, encouraging my husband to educate himself, and educating my extended family as well,” she says.
“I advocated for my kid at school to have a bathroom he felt comfortable using, advocated for him at work when he was being bullied, and stepped in when he couldn’t speak for himself or didn’t feel confident… It’s an everyday conscious, concerted effort to break down barriers for him.”
Tonya and her son admiring a rainbow after a rainy morning.
Technology can be used as a powerful force for good
Marco touches on how companies are harnessing technology to foster inclusion and create a culture of belonging.
“At ServiceNow, there is work in progress to take the burden off of the individual and put it on the organization when it comes to changing one’s preferred or legal name. We're using our own platform to improve that process internally,” he explains.
ServiceNow also recently launched an initiative called RiseUp with ServiceNow, which aims to close the digital talent gap by giving both technical and non-technical individuals access to faster, more equitable career paths by welcoming talent from all backgrounds to get credentialed on the ServiceNow platform.
At the same time, Marco points out the importance of responsible technology use — especially with tools like artificial intelligence.
“AI needs to be regulated, or else it could cause significant harm to the world,” he says. “We each have a responsibility within the tech industry to be hyper-aware when we’ve created something with AI… Don’t let it speak for you. Add to it. Tweak it.”
Diverse interview panels are a necessity
“Be inclusive in your hiring process,” Tonya says. “Breaking into tech as a cisgender white woman has been hard enough; imagine how much harder that is for somebody who’s part of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
When preparing to interview candidates, Tonya encourages you to make your hiring panel as diverse as possible.
She adds, “Make sure the job requisition is inclusive in its language, and reach out to minority communities where folks might have technical backgrounds, like HBCUs.”
Language and labels are nuanced
Tonya mentions how, when teaching a class, she gives her name and pronouns but doesn’t ask others to share unless they’re comfortable doing so.
“I don’t assume I know someone’s gender once I have a group of folks in front of me. I don’t want to out people accidentally. I make it a safe space,” she says. “Just because someone has long hair or a mustache, it doesn’t make them a he, a she, a them — you never want to assume.”
Tonya also makes an effort to admit when she’s not experienced with certain forms of language and asks to be corrected when she makes a mistake.
“I’ll say, ‘If I use the wrong pronoun, please correct me,’” Tonya explains. “Allow yourself to be corrected. Educate yourself on what those pronouns mean.”
Across the technology industry, both Tonya and Marco are seeing a beacon of hope: a rising number of organizations committed to LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
“We do some great things here at ServiceNow,” says Marco. “And that’s what keeps me hopeful — for the change.”
Tonya adds, “I love that there are companies like ServiceNow where they're making it comfortable to come out and are supportive. We have the ability to be on a Pride panel. Again, those options weren’t there not too long ago. And so, that all gives me hope.”
ServiceNow employees walking in the San Diego Pride Parade, 2023
Interested in growing your career with an employer that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion for its employees, and was named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation? Check out career opportunities with ServiceNow here.
And to learn more about fostering LGBTQIA+ belonging in the workplace, listen to the full conversation with Tonya Allen and Marco Osuna here.
