LGBTQ Breaking News Service

Stephanie McCaffrey, a former professional soccer player now on her way to Wall Street for her next future, has no shame about pursuing a career that will make her financially successful. Stephanie is a current second-year Wharton MBA and will work for Goldman Sachs as a full-time associate this summer. Her biggest goal is to help move the needle towards LGBT people and women in finance.

Stephanie wants to lead by the power of example. The mentors that she had the pleasure of meeting at Goldman Sachs during an internship she held at the firm last summer inspired her to lay the foundation for other LGBT women so they, too, can identify with a career in finance.

In the past month, Stephanie has used social media to start being more open about her life with her girlfriend on her social platforms. Having quite a substantial following, she says the support she has received thus far for her decision has been overwhelming.

Stephanie says, “I remember when I was grappling with the decision to come out, one of the biggest fears I had was around the different lifestyle that would come with being a gay woman. Growing up and in my community, the vast majority of partners providing financial security for families were male. I think for me, there was something very scary that that familiar sense of security wasn’t going to be a part of my own life.” 

For every dollar a man in a married-opposite-sex couple earns, a woman in a same-sex couple earns $0.79 whereas a man in a same-sex couple earns $0.98. The pay disparity for lesbian couples is even more significant.

Joe and Jill Biden hosted two women professional female soccer players, Meghan Rapinoe and Margaret Purce, to speak before congress on equal pay for women. They talked about how women have filled stadiums, become role models, all with no investment, and succeeded, yet still aren’t paid their fair share relative to men. 

Motivated by these statistics, Stephanie is determined to ultimately debunk the myth that men represent financial security or should be at the helm of providing when it comes to finances in a relationship, saying “there’s no true equality without financial equality.

“I hope my decision to go into finance/ go to Wall Street can help even one girl who is struggling with coming out, sees that gay women having successful careers and providing for their families is certainly possible. For that reason, loving whomever you want and living your truest self can be done without the fear of the lifestyle that may come with it. If I can move the needle even one inch for the LGBT community in empowering others to be who they truly are, without any apprehension of its deviation from “normal” and the perceived difficulties that may bring, it will make me more fulfilled than any on paper success could ever bring.”

Stephanie offers some well thought out tips to other LGBT women:

Every team is better off when every member brings their unequivocally truest self to the table

This allows team members to feel comfortable with who they are, safe to be themselves, and feel accepted within a team environment. It also allows everyone to bring their unique perspective to the table, thereby benefitting the company they are working for in that unique perspectives attract a diversified clientele.

Have confidence to take the leap in applying for and trying for things you don’t feel 100% ready for, because you’ll never feel fully ready

The anecdote to fear is action. The fear will never truly go away, so there’s no point in waiting for that. It’s just wasted time. Feel the fear and do it anyway. You may be pleasantly surprised by what is on the other side of that fear.

For students, take classes and seek out peers/ mentors going into quantitative/ financial fields, even if it isn’t what you end up doing

Finance skills should be essential for everyone as they are a lifelong skill to have. It is not wasted education to

The bottom line is diversity increases employee morale, which makes employees more productive and happier at work. This will instil a desire in your team to work more efficiently and will significantly increase the productivity of your business.

This June, the Town of Hillsborough will pursue a new strategy to publicly display its support for the LGBTQ+ community.

During a virtual work session on Monday, the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to purchase and fly rainbow Pride flags throughout the town during the month of June, the nationally-recognized period of LGBT pride.

LGBT Pride Month was only declared in Hillsborough beginning in 2019. While Mayor Jenn Weaver and Town Commissioner Matt Hughes intended to acquire and fly a set of rainbow flags last year, the plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, Hughes officially brought the proposition to the board.

“Hillsborough has long supported LGBTQ+ rights as an organization, just more quietly,” Weaver told 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell. “The friendliness as an organization has long-existed, but I do think it’s really important to be visibly supportive, especially with the climate of oppression and violence toward the LGBT community.”

“It feels a little bit overdue,” Weaver said during Monday’s remote work session.

Hughes suggested flying approximately 30 of the flags throughout the month, and expressed the desire to source them from the Hillsborough-based Carrot-Top Industries or another local business.

“I think that this would be a very visible sign for folks regarding the inclusivity of Hillsborough,” said Hughes.

Earlier this year, Hillsborough became the first municipality in North Carolina to pass an ordinance protecting its LGBT residents from discrimination after a key provision of House Bill 142 expired.

The full work session can be viewed on the town’s YouTube channel. More information about Hillsborough’s Board of Commissioners and its activities can be found on the town’s website.

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Sinn Fein Senator Fintan Warfield told of his own past torment, while expressing his concern over a new sex education program for Ireland’s Catholic elementary schools.

The program, unveiled by the Irish Bishops’ Conference, describe sex as a “gift from God” that belongs in a committed relationship, while marriage is defined as a “sacrament of commitment.”

The sex education resource, entitled Flourish, has been drawn up for all Catholic elementary schools on the island of Ireland.

But nearly six years after same-gender marriage was made legal in Ireland under an overwhelmingly popular public vote, it seems clear that traditional Catholic teaching remains very much at odds with the views of most of the Irish public.

One central message in the program is that the Catholic Church’s teaching in relation to “marriage between a man and a woman” cannot be ignored.

It also states that “puberty is a gift from God,” adding, “We are perfectly designed by God to procreate with him.”

The new sex education program has triggered unhappy memories for Warfield, who revealed he had prayed for years not be gay because of a sense of shame.

The Sinn Fein senator, who serves as the party’s spokesman on LGBT rights, said there was “a lot to unpack in the news that the Irish Bishops’ Conference has developed what it refers to as a voluntary resource for primary schools,” according to a report in The Irish Times.

Calling on the government rather than the church to take ownership of sex education, the 29-year-old LGBT activist continued, “I do not profess to have all the answers, but this is not it.”

He added, “I prayed for years that I would not be gay.  I did so because of shame, much of which I can place blame for at the door of the church.

“Prayer and religious ideology do nothing to protect children or young people.  Prayer and ideology do nothing to protect kids against sexually transmitted infections or HIV.”

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

One day you’ll embrace being a woman, being gay and being half-Indian

Tara Suri is Senior National Account Manager at Procter & Gamble

Dear Little T,

I’m writing to you from the year 2021 with, would you believe it, curly hair. Turns out that despite a decade of straightening, you have great natural curls… embrace them! It’ll save you a lot of time in the mornings. Besides, Jess loves them and that brings me to the more important point.

Throughout your teenage years, you’re going to realise that you’re a little different from some of your friends.

A guy called Zac Efron is going to become famous soon and all your female friends are going to be obsessed with him. You’re going to wonder why you don’t feel the same, and why you’d rather have a poster of Sophia Bush on your bedroom wall.

It’s totally natural to feel that way, and I promise it’s nothing to feel ashamed of. You are free to trust your feelings, whoever they manifest towards – be it a boy, a girl, or nobody at all. Your attraction to girls will ultimately guide who you fall in love with later in life, and that’s where Jess comes in.

Despite what you think and feel right now, I promise, you’ll meet her one day and it’ll feel like all the elements in your life have fallen into place.

Before that though, there are a few tricky years where you come to terms with the idea that you’re attracted to girls. And then you’ll have to tell your friends, family, mum and dad. You’re going to struggle with your self-identity for a while and try to hide it by telling people you like boys too.

Honestly, labels aren’t important, but society wants you to pick one. The one you end up feeling most comfortable with is “gay”.

On the topic of “coming out”, some people think it’s a phase at first, but they soon understand you’re serious. In fact, mum, dad and Harsha are all incredibly supportive of your relationships from day one.

Unfortunately, “coming out” doesn’t stop at mum, dad and your friends at school. Every time you meet somebody new; whether that be friends, teammates or colleagues, they’ll assume you’re heterosexual until told otherwise.

Luckily, so far nobody has really been that bothered about it. Especially the rugby girls, they embrace diversity from all walks of life, and you’ll feel right at home with them! The fear of coming out never goes away, but just remember that being gay is something to be proud of.

As you get older, you’ll start to notice that being a woman, being gay, and being half Indian, are all parts of who you are. You can’t change that.

Eventually you’ll learn to embrace these things, even though your tolerance to spicy food never really improves. The sooner you learn that having straight hair, wearing clothes from Tammy Girl, and painting your bedroom pink are not really the things that make you happy, the better.

Your love for David Beckham isn’t a phase though, that one sticks for life!

The world is changing in so many ways, and women’s voices are stronger than ever. But sometimes, even in 2021, it’ll feel like you’re the only gay woman in the world. That most certainly isn’t the case, but every now and again you’ll look around and feel a little bit out of place.

I don’t really have the answer for you on that one, but we’re still working on it.

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