By Denise Merle
Senior Vice President and Chief Administration Officer
Last month, I joined an incredible panel on allyship that was organized by three of our employee resource groups (I highly recommend the replay, if you’re interested). It was a really personal and powerful discussion about what it means to be an ally — someone who speaks out, stands up and provides support for a marginalized person or group. As panelists, we all came from different backgrounds and experiences, yet there was an inspiring common thread about how having an ally, or being an ally, can make an enormous difference in people’s lives.
During the panel, I related a story from more than 30 years ago at Weyerhaeuser when a colleague who was a really good friend of mine asked me to coffee one Saturday to meet his partner. I remember asking why he hadn’t come out at work. He said, ‘Denise, I look at you, and I feel like it’s hard enough to be a woman in this company. I see what you go through; I’m not coming out as gay.’ That really stuck with me — the thought of what it would feel like to be afraid of being your full self, your true self, at work because it could make your job harder or limit your career opportunities.
We’re still friends today, and I’ve carried that conversation with me all these years. A lot has changed since then, but not enough – not nearly enough. Too many people in the world still feel targeted and vulnerable and continue to face discrimination simply for who they are. Too many people believe they have to hide parts of themselves in order to succeed at work, or to be safe at work.
This is not a challenge unique to any one group. It cuts across so many underrepresented communities and demographics, and we have an obligation to recognize and resist all forms of prejudice and discrimination — not just in others, but in our own thoughts and actions as well. And right now, I know there is a tremendous need for increased understanding and allyship for our LGBTQ+ colleagues — and especially for members of the transgender community.
Here’s the reality: In communities across the U.S., the rights of transgender and nonbinary people are being called into question. Depending on where you live, there may be new or emerging laws challenging, or even criminalizing, your very identity — your right to be you.
Regardless of the stated intent behind these laws or the broader discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, the impacts have been well-documented and are deeply tragic, particularly for younger people. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to consider suicide than their peers, and more than half of transgender and nonbinary young people seriously considered suicide in the past year alone. Yet having just one accepting adult in their life, a single understanding friend or ally, can decrease an LGBTQ+ young person’s risk of suicide by 40 percent. That is truly heartbreaking, but it also offers a sliver of hope — and another powerful reason why our inclusion work at Weyerhaeuser is so important, not just for us but for everyone in our families and communities.
I believe we each have a real and meaningful role in creating an inclusive environment where everyone in our company feels welcome and safe. Whether through one of our ERGs or the dozens of interactions and decisions we make every day, we can all be allies. We can all provide support and be willing to listen and learn and build understanding. We can all help create a welcoming space for each other and make sure everyone at Weyerhaeuser is seen and heard and valued for their contributions — that everyone knows and trusts they have nothing to fear, and nothing to hide.
So whether you are LGBTQ+ or have a child or other family member who is, I want you to know: You are safe at Weyerhaeuser. If you are feeling isolated or alone, we see and support you. You will always be welcome here and, I hope, feel comfortable and confident bringing your full selves to work every day.
That is why we are on this inclusion journey together at Weyerhaeuser, and we will continue working to live up to this value every day.
