You are cordially invited to attend the USPTO’s Women’s History Month Event
featuring women in innovation and the dedication of our auditorium. Remarks by Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross
March 5, 2019 | 4–5:30 PM
Networking reception following this event
Madison Auditorium or Livestream | See the USPTO Weekly for details
No “other time” is available for this event
Black History Trivia Game – Tuesday Feb 5th from Noon to 1pm at the Jefferson Conference Center
History Field Trip – Friday Feb 8th, at the Hariett Tubman Museum & Underground Railroad. Please contact Arlene Jones for reservations.
Flagship Event Black Migration – Thursday Feb 14th from 1 to 2 pm Madison South.
Network Wine Down with Affinity Groups – Wednesday Feb 27th 4-6pm Madison North.
Join us to enjoy our 60+ degree weather today at the picnic tables in Dulany Gardens! The forecast is beautiful and the groundhog has predicted an early Spring! Come over right in front of the Madison building and look for the bright pink picnic blanket today at 2:30PM and catch some sun rays with us.
Happy 2019 to all our members! As we start the year with lots of uncertainties, rest reassured the LGBT community at PTO is always here to provide support and camaraderie.
Last year’s elections yielded strong support for our current board of officers to stay on one more year. Please do attend as many events as you can manage, to show our presence on campus.
Here are some events to look forward to this year, once we’re out of this slump!
Please join the Network of Executive Women and Women in Science and Engineering for an interactive discussion and networking event with USPTO Deputy Director Laura Peter on Wednesday, January 16th at the Madison Auditorium from 4 to 6 pm. There will be an online option, details to follow in The USPTO Weekly. We hope to see you there!
Thursday, November 15th @ 12:00 pm Pacific (3 pm EST)
Join Out & Equal on November 15th as Out & Equal releases its brand-new guide, Best Practices for Non-Binary Inclusion in the Workplace! Register now for the webinar release and discussion of this important new resource, and to receive your copy of the guide.
Companies consistently approach our organization to learn how they can create an environment of inclusion and belonging for their non-binary and gender non-conforming employees, who often experience significant rates of workplace discrimination. Out & Equal is thrilled to provide this cutting-edge resource to our constituents. We hope you can join our webinar on November 15th to learn more about this critical piece in LGBTQ diversity and inclusion! We will also be joined by Erin Roberts of Bank of America, who will share how the company makes its non-binary employees feel included.
Queering Tango: An Exploration
This course for advanced, beginner or intermediate students will combine instruction on fundamental tango vocabulary and technique with discussion and exploration of the assumptions we make about gender, masculinity, and femininity–and how that might affect our dancing and our interactions with others. Students will be invited to experiment with both roles and reflect on their experiences.
More information at tangomercurio.org/queer-tango
On October 11, 1987 hundreds of thousands of people participated in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. They marched with a platform that not only included demands for change in the existing laws affecting lesbian and gay citizens of the United States but also to end discrimination against AIDS- and HIV-positive individuals, as well as ending racism in the United States and apartheid in South Africa. The momentum of the march led to the founding of several lesbian and gay rights organizations across the country. To commemorate the march “National Coming Out Day” was established on October 11, 1988. National Coming Out Day is an annual event, now promoted by the Human Rights Campaign, to increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. It is an opportunity to celebrate diversity, something we strive to do every day here at the USPTO. On October 11, 2018, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.
If you are an employee who is still in the closet, I encourage you to consider coming out. In his essay that cautions on overemphasizing coming out of the closet Preston Mitchum says: “focusing so intensely on coming out places the burden on the individual to brave society rather than on society to secure the safety of the individual….if our society does not actively work to make things better, the lives of LGBT people will not get better.” Therefore if you are an employee who is not LGBTQ+ I encourage you to practice being an ally. Ensure that you create a welcoming environment where employees do not fear coming out at work. Place a “safe space” magnet on your doorframe to show you are an ally. While the agency has Agency Administrative Orders (AAOs) that prohibit sexual orientation, gender identity harassment, and discrimination, I think it is of equal if not greater importance that we foster a culture of equality and diversity within our Agency.
We at Lambda PTO recognize the hypervisibility that comes with being out of the closet, especially if you are a person of color, or a person with a disability, or any other marginalized group in addition to your sexual orientation or gender identity. If you don’t feel comfortable coming out yet, we still support you. We hope that you will do so when you are ready. If you do feel ready and would like to come out to your supervisor or your workgroup, we have resources through OEEOD and Lambda PTO to help you through that seemingly difficult conversation. If you are out and you feel you have been discriminated or harassed, we are here to help you navigate the process of seeking resolution. At the United States Patent and Trademark Office we know that our Agency is strengthened by the complex and overlapping diversity of our people. And we want each individual employee to celebrate their diversity and be proud!
Join Pride Outside and the LGBT Congressional Staff Association to hike the Billy Goat Trail, one of the best hikes in DC!
We’ll meet at noon on Sunday, August 12th at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center. Be sure to wear sneakers or boots and bring water.
Feel free to coordinate carpools in the comments below. Note there is a $10 entrance fee per car.
For more information, check out the Event Page on Facebook.
Save the date for September 6th as we gather at DC’s newest LGBT Bars Pitchers & The League, located at 2317 18th St. NW, Washington DC, 20009. More information to come soon! Check out PitchersBarDC.com.
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